Nehoshtan: Terrorists not stupid
Photo: Sivan Fareg
Air Force Commander Ido Nehoshtan said Wednesday that the IAF and the army in general were struggling to protect civilians living under the daily threat of Qassam and Katyusha rocket attacks.
Speaking at the annual national security convention hosted by the Fisher Brothers Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, Nehoshtan said the rockets used against Israel had evolved over the past decade, and that improvements included range, launchers, and the evasive quality of the terrorists who fire them.
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"The merits of the Qassam are many," Nehoshtan said. "It passes through the planes' defenses and reaches long ranges. It is non-specific and gives off no signals that can be identified ahead of time."
He added, "The trickling of this weapon from armies to organizations is also a threat. As a terrorist weapon working against civilians from within a civilian population it is very effective."
However the IAF commander stressed that the army was still capable of providing adequate security in the future. "Next year we will begin to see the effects of Iron Dome," he said, referring to Israel's new rocket defense system.
"The people we are facing are not stupid," Nehoshtan said regarding the terrorists responsible for rocket fire. "Hizbullah, Hamas, and Iran all have sharp-witted people who know about weapons."
This week a number of Qassam rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza, causing no injuries or damage. Defense reports say April entailed the least amount of rockets fired during the period following the IDF operation in Gaza, as only six Qassams and two mortar shells were fired at Israel during this period.