VIDEO - The Israel Defense Forces defined the unusual operation carried out by a commando force early Saturday in the Gaza Strip as "a remarkable operation of high quality." Two Hamas members were detained during the operation.
The satisfaction in the IDF follows a week in which senior members of the government and the defense establishment were forced to express their regret over the killing of innocent civilians during attempted assassinations of terror activists and Qassam launchers from the Gaza Strip.
Military sources noted that during the operation, which was named "Desert Storm," not one gunshot was fired. The sources claimed that the Palestinians exaggerated in their report that the detainees' father was in need of medical treatment after IDF soldiers beat him during the operation.
"Naturally, when operating in a bid to arrest wanted terror suspects inside a house, there is need to neutralize any threat, but this definitely does not mean hurting anyone beyond the arrest," an IDF source said.
Many of the operation's details were not cleared for publication, but the operation was comprised of two prominent elements: Intelligence activities and a high-quality ground operation.
A senior IDF officer told Ynet that such an operation requires first and foremost accurate intelligence.
"One has to know exact details on the wanted terror suspect, where he is at night, who is with him, what room does he sleep in, is he armed or is there some kind of circle of security around him. Each detail joins a complete puzzle of an overall intelligence picture. It is obvious that any mistake may lead to grave consequences," the officer said.
According to the officer, after the intelligence details are made clear, the army must prepare a skilled ground force that knows how to deal with any scenario that may develop during the incident.
'We'll do everything to prevent terror attacks'
In the West Bank the army conducts such detentions every night, but the preparation for an operation in the southern Strip is different.
"There is a huge different. The entry to Jenin, Tul Karm or Nablus is usually conducted using vehicles. Some of the operations are carried out in daylight, with a combination of many forces. In the current situation, the operation is extremely secret, accurate. There is no intention to reach a gun battle, but rather to carry out the task quietly and as quickly as possible," the officer explained.
The interrogation of the two detainees is the third step of the operation. Defense establishment officials said they expect the two to shed light on their plans to carry out a major terror attack, according to suspicions.
The IDF's pullout from the Gaza Strip and the new defense perception have forced security forces to operate in new ways in the area.
"It is true that this is an unusual step, which has not been implemented since we left the Strip, but it proves that we will do everything necessary in order to prevent a terror attack," IDF sources said.
"The force was ready for any possibility while carrying out the operation, but it was done smoothly. This is another operation out of the basket of operations we hold in order to foil a terror attack. In the future we will also operate in any way in order to guarantee the security of Israel's citizens," a military source stated.
Southern Command Chief Yoav Galant complimented the force that carried out the operations and the commanders of the Gaza division and the southern brigade.