Defense minister and IDF chief
Photo: Ariel Hermoni
Qassam hits southern kibbutz (archives)
Archive photo: Yael Livne, Shachar Or
IDF 'prepared to operate in Gaza'
Referring to defense minister's declaration of 'special situation' in Gaza vicinity communities, senior military officials estimate terror organizations possess rockets with longer range than Qassams, such as Grad missiles. 'A military operation alone cannot lead to a complete halt in terror activities,' sources say
"A military operation alone cannot lead to zero Qassams or to a complete halt in terror activities, but we are prepared to operate in the Gaza Strip as much as it takes according to the orders we will receive," IDF sources told Ynet on Tuesday evening following Defense Minister Ehud Barak's declaration of a "special situation" in Sderot and Gaza vicinity communities.
In any event, IDF sources reiterate that the Palestinian rockets are not the only problem in the Gaza Strip.
The army does not view the recent days as an escalation or deterioration in the situation, but rather as a continuation of concrete terror activities. There are a number of contingency plans, and operational discussions on some of them in the near future are possible.
Under Fire
Hanan Greenberg
'Special situation on home front' declared in Gaza vicinity communities for 48 hours, status allows security forces wider jurisdiction over civil matters
"There is a very large process of empowerment in the Strip, which is not being felt in Israel. We naturally refer to Qassams. Those who have to make the decisions are familiar with the situation and will issue the right orders."
The defense establishment is once again attempting to find solutions, even partial ones, in an effort to change the situation in Gaza. The defense minister, who declared a special situation in the home front, also instructed the army to examine ways to influence Hamas from afar and operate in a way that will make it difficult for the organization to govern.
Israel's immediate goal is to bring about a situation of calm in Sderot and its surroundings by halting the rocket fire. In practice, there has been a drop in the number of Qassams fired at Israel compared to previous months. This is the reason why the IDF is not carrying out any unusual operations, in spite of the statements that "each Qassam fired at Israel is one too many."
'Qassams only one aspect of Gaza terror'
Different military forces have been operating in the Strip, and the Air Force and other forces are preparing to hit terror cells, launchers and rockets at any given moment.
IDF sources have clarified that they will not elaborate on the potential operational solutions, but noted that the army was ready for anything.
"Qassams are only one aspect of the terror in the Strip, and we cannot operate only against this aspect," the sources clarified. "We can operate against all aspects of terror. There is no doubt that every operation has accumulating advantages and accomplishments, but it does not terminate terror in one instant."
Defense establishment officials have referred in the past to the creation of a sort of buffer zone in the northern Strip in order to distance the launching cells. This idea is still on the agenda, but not everyone is convinced that it will lead to a significant drop in the number of rockets fired.
"Today the border fence area is also a fighting zone, and there are quite a few attempts by terrorists to reach the area, so there is no way to seal off any area."
In recent security discussions, senior IDF officials estimated that terror organizations already possess rockets with a longer range than Qassams, such as Grad missiles.
It is possible that a military operation in a specific area will lead to a situation in which the long-range rockets will be directed at Ashkelon, in a bid to cause the IDF to loose its balance and further escalate the situation.
