Defense Minister Gantz Lewalla!: We have no restrictions on the killing of Islamic Jihad members, even in a ceasefire

The Minister of Defense spoke with Walla!

at the end of Operation Dawn and expressed satisfaction with the IDF's achievements. "I am not complacent or arrogant, we have achieved good things." He denies cooperation with Hamas and accuses Hezbollah of complicating Lebanon ("We are not looking for wars, but if necessary there will be"), but emphasizes that Israel is not close to one

Amir Bohbot

09/08/2022

Tuesday, August 9, 2022, 7:15 p.m. Updated: 8:00 p.m.

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on Twitter

• Share by email

• Share in general

• Comments

  Comments

In the video: the restoration of the approval of the assassination of the senior Islamic Jihad Khaled Mansour (photo: Ministry of Defense)

After the ceasefire with the Islamic Jihad and the end of Operation Dawn, which was defined as a success in Israel, Defense Minister Benny Gantz spoke today (Tuesday) with Walla!, and detailed the feelings and achievements after the operation, detailed the plans for the future, and also referred to the growing tensions in Judea and Samaria, vis-a-vis Hezbollah On the way to the gas rig, as well as the Iranian threat.

"I feel good. Above all, I am very satisfied and would like to take this opportunity to thank all the residents of the south, the citizens of Israel in general, who have shown compliance with her, the security systems, the IDF, the Shin Bet, the police, for their command. And also the emergency organizations, MDA and others who put forward their readiness.

Each time it is a renewed pride.

I am very satisfied with the results of the operation.

I am not complacent or arrogant.

We have a very important defense mission.

This operation met us after we had created a favorable strategic environment, both in the status of the Gaza Strip, in the balance between civilians and the military, in our relations with the countries of the region, in the intelligence infrastructure and in the operational plans we prepared.

When the opportunity meets the need to exercise the power, it is done very well.

We have achieved very good results in damaging the Islamic Jihad organization, also in the field of deterrence from the Gaza Strip, and in preserving the freedom of action.

I think we have achieved good things.

We need to finish the investigations quickly and prepare for the next challenge because it will come."

"You have to prepare for the next challenge - it will come."

Gantz (Photo: Reuven Castro)

What is the outstanding achievement in Operation Dawn?

"I believe that the ability to carry out the campaign is targeted in such an effective way with damage to the chain of command of the Jihad, to its central infrastructure, to its operatives, with a minority of casualties, unfortunately not without other casualties on the civilian side of the Gaza Strip, some incidentally from failed launches by the organization 20% of his launches did not meet us at all, that's a lot. Unfortunately, people were also killed as a result of this matter, but if I tell you - the damage to the chain of command, to the Jihad infrastructure, quick and accurate execution. I think it was very good."

"We always have many, many targets.

This concept of a target bank is an old but familiar concept in the IDF defense parlance, there are a lot of people in the intelligence and operational planning systems who work to maintain it. We will always have something to work on."

"First of all, we hope that the cease-fire will hold.

Not for nothing did we agree that it would happen.

But we are interested in the preservation of peace and the preservation of security.

And if we detect something else, then we will assess the situation and decide what we do with it, also within the army and within the security system.

In this sense, our freedom of action was preserved, and as evidenced last night and this morning there was activity in the Nablus area, in this case for the elimination of a threat that was about to emerge once again.

This is despite the fact that people can criticize the fact that a night operation was carried out after another operation had ended."

good to know (in advance)

Due to growing demand for effective pain treatment: B-Cure laser in a special sale

Served on behalf of B Cure Laser

"We have many goals."

The IDF attack in Operation Dawn (Photo: Reuters)

So the IDF does not have any restrictions on arrests and targeted countermeasures

Even during the operation we did in the Gaza Strip, every night many Islamic Jihad operatives were arrested in Judea and Samaria and as long as necessary we will continue to do this.

We will constantly continue our activity against the terrorist organizations, we will strengthen the Palestinian Authority as much as we can.

We will protect the citizens of Israel.

This is our mission."

"Let's be very clear on this matter. The Shark rig is in the distinct Israeli zone. Outside of any space for debate along any line, no matter how far-fetched. Therefore, Israel will exhaust its national energy resources as much as it chooses, and as much as it is ready in terms of the progress of the project at the engineering level of the project itself. We are in negotiations through the US with the Lebanese government. We are willing to reach a solution that will allow the Lebanese government to exhaust its resources. I think it is good for both sides. Getting involved in an event that she doesn't need. We are not looking for wars, but if we have to go to it, we will go to it."

"I hope this will not happen. Every time we carry out an action it is necessary and is carried out around a situation assessment. What are the objectives of the operation, what are the goals, what are the operational conditions, what is the strategic environment, we teach it anew every time. I currently do not see any changes, of course I follow After the relations between Russia and Iran, which have warmed up a bit recently in view of the crisis between the powers that is taking expression around the fighting in Ukraine. But we make situational assessments, make decisions and I think we are doing it perfectly well."

"Hezbollah is making a turn."

Shark rig (photo: official website, Energian company)

Hamas in Operation Dawn stood on the sidelines and watched how the IDF attacks the Islamic Jihad. How does it get out of this operation? It looks like it will cooperate with the IDF?

"I do not cooperate with Hamas and I will not cooperate with Hamas. Hamas is responsible for what it did in the Gaza Strip. We have military tools against it, and we also have civilian tools against the Gaza Strip. When there is peace, it will be better there. When it is bad? It will be bad for everyone." .

"We wanted to continue in steps of 1,500, to continue to grow. I think that if there are people from Gaza who leave to continue working, it is a good thing for the Gazans, it is a good thing for Israel and I hope that it will be possible to continue doing this. The only obstacle to the further development of the workers who come to Israel is the security situation. The more it is kept stable, the more humanitarian economic well-being there will be in the Gaza Strip. I hope it can be continued. I work in steps of 1,000-1,500 every time. As long as the system is stable and maintained. We have a step of 20 thousand that we can look up to and grow from there to carry out a renewed assessment of the situation".

"This is a pilot that is of course managed in a perfect security manner. There is no security risk in what we are looking at. This can be a good thing for the Palestinians, but no less than that for Eilat and the residents of the south because if we succeed in developing international aviation at Ramon Airport it is a good thing for the State of Israel. But as mentioned, this is preliminary , it's a pilot. We'll see how it progresses. The residents of Eilat are very important. It's very important to me that their transportation flexibility from Ramon Airport to Tel Aviv is maintained at all times. And it will always be my priority."

"Following the nuclear agreement"

The negotiations on the Iranian nuclear project are faltering.

Is it bad for Israel?

What do you do behind the scenes?

"We are following the emerging nuclear agreement. Whether it is approaching or not, there are opinions one way or the other. I understand that the Europeans made a proposal that they called absolutely final to the Iranians\ and the Iranians went to study it in depth. We are trying to influence that if there is an agreement there will be as few holes in it as possible And it will be the best that can be achieved. But regardless of that, we continue the operational, offensive and defensive force building and intelligence processes, as we are supposed to do."

Regarding the budget law.

Aircraft procurement is not accelerated, the fighter jets are being refueled.

Is this consistent with your desire to put a sword to the attack against the Iranian nuclear project at the point of time you have deemed appropriate?

doesn't it wobble?

"First of all, remember that we have our own capabilities. We are not without capabilities. We will continue to develop and strengthen them. These issues of refueling planes, fighter planes, main weapons systems, very large armament contracts. They are not temporary, they are very large projects that last for years They happen under very complex industrial projects. We make every effort to receive things as early as possible and in any case on time."

"There are several spatial commands and mission headquarters of the IDF for the various arenas.

Everyone is confident in their arena.

Every place has its challenges.

There is no doubt that the center's arena with the Palestinian challenge and the terrorism that can arise from it is a challenging arena.

We are actually still in the middle and in the continuation of the groundbreaking operation against Palestinian terrorism that we saw launched in the month of Ramadan, with the efforts to hit the terrorists while making efforts to improve the seam.

All these trends are sensitive, they are in force and we will continue to act on them."

"We are not close to an initiated war in any of the arenas, but all arenas are sensitive and we live in an environment where, through experience, escalations can develop, so we need to maintain a high level of alertness in each of the arenas."

"Together we can provide the citizens with the best."

Gantz, Lapid and Kochavi in ​​the situation room at the South Command (Photo: Government Press Office, Haim Tzach)

The ceasefire agreement with Egypt.

Can you talk about the personal connections you have, about phone calls made in the last few days?

"I have personal connections, but not only to me. Also to other people in all kinds of countries around us at different levels of ministers, of heads of state. I guess the prime minister also has his connections, I think it's an important part of our lives. The prime minister deals with the political negotiations , I deal with the political-security issues. I think that together we can provide the citizens of Israel with the best possible."

"I mainly enjoy the moments when I can deal with security and not politics, and I think the last few days have given me this pause."

• news

• Army and security

Tags

• Benny Gantz