Peretz: Gaza won't be Lebanon

In meeting with Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, Defense minister says situation in Strip escalating, but steps to be taken towards calm

Ilan Marciano|Published: 10.16.06 , 13:39

Following a weekend of heavy fire in Gaza, Defense Minister Amir Peretz appeared before the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee and said that he had instructed the IDF to intensify operations in the area, in order to prevent arming of terror organizations.

"We're operating in the air, on the ground and underground searching for tunnels. We will hurt all terrorists, no matter from which organization," he said.

In the security briefing that he gave committee members, Peretz stated that the situation in Gaza had intensified, but emphasized that security forces intended to prevent the situation from deteriorating in order to avoid entering an extensive ground operation in Gaza.

"We will not allow Gaza to become southern Lebanon. As far as we're concerned, the time has ended when we check the postmark of each and every missile that lands in Israel. We will target all terrorists."

Peretz addressed the possibility of a comprehensive operation in Gaza, saying "the operations underway are in accordance to IDF and intelligence recommendations. I hope that things will not escalate. No one looks forward to extensive ground operations across Gaza. I prefer that political processes will become a restraining force, to prevent escalation."

Peretz also addressed the hazy signs of possible peace with Damascus, saying "Assad is two-faced and we are prepared in the event of an incident."

Advanced weaponry in Gaza

During the meeting, a senior intelligence officer described how terror organizations are smuggling anti-tank missiles and other advanced weaponry into Gaza. The threat of such weapons smuggling has become a more substantive one following the end of the second Lebanon war.

IDF sources posited that Palestinian terror organizations would try to arm themselves with anti-tank missiles, aided by Iran and Syria. Chief of the Shin Bet Yuval Diskin warned several months ago that the arming of these organizations was a strategic threat that much be addressed.

"If we don't deal with this problem properly, in a few years, the reality will be like that in Lebanon. We don't need to wait three years and then investigate what went wrong," he said at the time.

According to Diskin, Palestinian terrorists are heeding lessons gleaned from the Lebanon war: "They understood the might of anti-tank missiles and guerilla warfare, as well as underground bunkers."

IDF sources reported that every new threat in Gaza requires different treatment from operating forces. The estimation is that advanced weaponry will continue to flow into the region.

This past weekend, the IDF killed 11 Palestinian operatives in Gaza, during exchanges of fire. The IDF Operation 'The Four Species' was targeted primarily at preventing Qassam rocket launchings at Israel.

During the operation, Hamas operatives attempted to shoot anti-tank missiles at IDF forces. In response, soldiers fired a missile at the structure in which the operatives were hiding, killing seven. Four additional gunmen were killed, in two separate incidents, attempting to launch Qassams at Israel.