Senior IDF officials refuted criticism by political sources, regarding the IDF's Thursday operation in Ramallah and the fact that the IDF and Shin Bet did not brief Defense Minister Amir Peretz about it. The operation, aimed at arresting wanted terror operatives, left six Palestinians dead and 18 injured.
The political sources also censured the timing of the operation – the same day that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at a summit in Sinai.
A senior IDF officer told Ynet Friday that Thursday night's operation – like many other operations in the West Bank – can be and authorized by Central Command officers, up to the Chief of the Command, at the rank of major general.
Government criticism
Gov't angry at IDF over Ramallah operation / Attila Somfalvi
State officials furious at IDF, Shin Bet for failing to report Ramallah operation in which six Palestinians were killed. Botched arrest attempt damaged PM's meeting with Egyptian President. Army says operation was necessary routine operation
"This wasn't an operation that required authorization of a higher ranked that this and the Chief of the Command (Major General Yair Naveh), who gave the green light, weighed all of the necessary considerations into account when he made his decision."
The IDF emphasized that Thursday, concurrent to the operation in Ramallah, there was a similar operation in Bethlehem also aimed at detaining wanted operatives.
"We need to remember that we're constantly operating with dilemmas related to the Palestinian population," the source said. "However, our top focus is the fact that there are wanted operatives out there who could shortly execute attacks."
"If there's the operational opportunity to arrest them and foil the next attack – we undertake any operation necessary to foil this attack, in accordance to IDF general staff regulations," he explained.
According to other military sources, every operation of the kind executed Thursday contains various risks, including the possibility that civilians may be hurt. As such, the IDF prepares several operational programs, to address various scenarios that might develop.
The sources emphasized that the operation in Ramallah did not deviate from IDF regulations or the government policy handed down to the IDF from the political echelon.
Forces elsewhere in the defense establishment confirmed that the IDF had been operating within the confines of government regulations, but, nonetheless, perhaps should have reconsidered the operation, in light of Olmert and Mubarak's meeting.
Within the IDF, there were also those who accepted the government's criticism of the operation, implying that there is an attempt to tie the IDF to political rivalries of which it is not meant to take part.
RSS
