Defense Minister Ehud Barak
said Tuesday that the IDF continued to strike in the Gaza Strip while the political echelon was monitoring the developments on the diplomatic front.
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During a tour of the Air Force base in Palmachim, Barak said: "We heard yesterday, and respect, UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's appeal, and we are closely following the progress on the Egyptian truce initiative, but the fighting goes on and the IDF continues to operate our troops."
The defense minster heard briefings about the fighting in Gaza and spoke to pilots and air crew staff. "On the 18th day the fighting carries on. Here at the Palmachim base we see the aerial forces in action, both the attack helicopters and the UAVs that are unprecedentedly cooperating with the ground forces with much success.
"I want to thank the pilots, the crew members, the operators and the ground crews who set new standards for tight and valuable cooperation with the ground forces," he added.
Earlier Tuesday, IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said
during a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting that "The soldiers are doing an extraordinary job, we have made many achievements in damaging Hamas and its infrastructure, its regime and its military wing, but there is still much to be done."
Ashkenazi continued to praise the troops in the field, saying, "I would like to start by expressing my great esteem, first to all the IDF soldiers, the Shin Bet, all the security and rescue forces, the local authorities and the citizens of the State of Israel. We feel that everyone is united behind us."
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