IDF chief to citizens: Come to north, we're keeping watch
During Northern Command ceremony, Ashkenazi says Israel keeping close watch on northern border, places responsibility on Lebanese government for maintaining quiet. He invites Israelis to vacation in north during holidays, saying he and his family will do the same
"We are keeping a close watch on what takes place on the northern border. Therefore, we responded immediately and proportionately to the area from which the Katyusha rockets were fired," said the chief of staff during the ceremony.
"The Lebanese military and army are the responsibility parties for preventing (rocket) firing. Everyone wants quiet, but we are prepared. We are keeping our eyes open and are following everything that happens in southern Lebanon. The explosion in the arms depot was proof that Hezbollah is still armed. I cannot identify any interest of theirs to put an end to the situation, but we won't be complacent."
Ashkenazi estimated that the quiet in the region will be maintained and turned to Israeli citizens to vacation in the north during the holidays: "The north is safe. I recommend you come and enjoy yourselves in the Galilee. I and my family intend to come here over the holiday, and I invite all of Israel to come and experience the view and to get to know the wonderful people who live here."
Maj. Gen. Ashkenazi summed up the past year for the northern mayors attending the ceremony, "This year we withstood no small number of challenges, both in the southern region and in Judea and Samaria. To my delight, we have managed to provide relative quiet and security in all the regions, including the north.
"However, we are not deluding ourselves. An incisive look at the surroundings shows that there are still those who have not come to terms with our existence as a country for the Jewish people, as a Jewish and democratic state. We are not resting on our laurels; we are training on the frontlines and on the home front, in the air, land, and sea, and are implementing the lessons learned in the Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead.
"We have a large and high-quality military. We will not rest until we bring home all the captives and missing soldiers. We will continue to build the IDF's resilience and entrenchment through increasing (the rate) of volunteering for the army," said Ashkenazi.
'I appreciate your strong stance'
The chief of staff turned to the northern mayors, and said, "I appreciate your strong stance, your complex security and economic policies. Your attachment to the land and development of the Galilee have been a symbol and a model since the establishment of the State until today. The cooperation among residents, the mayors, and the IDF is important to all sides. We will continue to take action with the understanding that the IDF's foal is to provide defense for the residents."
Northern Command Chief Gadi Eisenkot also attended the ceremony and thanked the mayors for supporting and strengthening the IDF throughout the past year.
"The Global Jihad's rocket firing on Friday is a reminder of the reality in which we live. We view the firing with severity, and, as such, our response was immediate. I wish for all of us that the quiet, the security, and the growth in the northern towns will continue for the next year. However, if necessary, we will know how to respond correctly in order to protect the residents of the north," said Eisenkot.
Al-Qaeda group takes responsibility
The al-Qaeda-linked organization took responsibility on Monday for the rockets. "Your brothers fired two Katyusha rockets from south Lebanon which landed in the Nahariya settlement in the north of occupied Palestine," a statement on websites used by militants said.
It cited Israel's blockade of the Palestinian enclave of Gaza and preventing worshippers praying at the Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem as the reasons for the action.
The statement was signed by the Ziad al-Jarrah division of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades and the posting's headline linked the group to Sunni Muslim militant network al-Qaeda.
No one was injured in Israel as a result of the attack. However, Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev filed an official complaint on the rocket attack with the international body, placing responsibility on the Lebanese government.
Lebanese media reported that eye witness reports cited that four men in civilian garb perpetrated the rocket attack.
The IDF fired artillery into orchards in the Tyre area in response to the rockets. According to Lebanese reports, at lease 15 shells had been fired from Israel.
