Against the background of the intolerable incompetence of the various government ministries, as always, in this crisis as well, the Ministry of Defense is emerging as one of the only government ministries functioning in the country.
As part of the war effort, Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir asked the heads of the large defense industries to postpone the supply of equipment, weapons and combat systems in accordance with the contracts they signed, and to pledge all weapons to the IDF. The industries were also asked to accelerate the pace of production of the means needed by the IDF during the war.
IDF soldiers near the Gaza border, photo: AFP
At the same time, the Ministry of Defense completed more than 60 operations to fly munitions and combat equipment to Israel. The shipments, most of which come from the United States, include munitions, armored vehicles, protective equipment and ceramic vests, spare parts for aircraft, medical equipment and any equipment that will support the IDF's needs.
An American cargo plane with combat equipment landed at Ramon Airport | Ran Shauli
At this very moment, there are several ships that are expected to arrive in Israel, carrying important weapons that will be used by the IDF in the campaign - such as the Iron Dome systems that were sold to the US army, and which are now being sent to Israel to reinforce the air defense system.
Reservists (archive), photo: Dudu Greenspan
The defense establishment notes that Israel has everything it needs for war in the southern arena, as well as breathing space even in the event of fighting in the northern arena. Nevertheless, since Israel is preparing for many months of war, which could turn into a two-front and even multi-front one, the Ministry of Defense is currently operating without any budgetary constraints, and is carrying out procurement on a scale not seen since the Yom Kippur War.
Initial rehabilitation
At the same time, Zamir decided to task Maj. Gen. (res.) Roni Numa with establishing the "New Horizon" Administration, whose task is the initial rehabilitation of the Gaza envelope. The Ministry of Defense Administration is working in cooperation with the National Administration that was established, but it is not waiting for it, and has already assisted in the initial rehabilitation of the area by repairing electricity and water lines and removing hazards and rubble.
Ruins in the village of Gaza, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The Ministry of Defense buried 363 fallen IDF and security forces in military cemeteries and military plots in some 120 communities across the country. Zamir made unusual decisions at the event, and it is possible, for example, to bury two brothers in a military plot even if only one of them was a soldier. The Rehabilitation Department took in more than 1,200 wounded as new disabled IDF soldiers during the fighting, and surprisingly proved impressive efficiency – 88 per cent of the recognition procedures were completed on the day they were submitted.
Funerals of IDF soldiers, photo: AP
At the same time, unique technological solutions for combat were developed and are still being developed, and new systems are entering IDF use these very days.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us