by Lilach Shoval and Shlomo Cesana
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon says Israel pursuing operational and intelligence efforts to locate three abducted teens • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauds PA President Mahmoud Abbas' condemnation of abduction, urges him to sever ties with Hamas.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Photo credit: Lior Mizrahi  | ||||
As Operation Brother's Keeper entered its 13th day Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces have somewhat reduced deployment in Judea and Samaria, in favor of intelligence gathering efforts and searches in the Hebron area.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon commented Tuesday on reports suggesting the military was scaling back the operation meant to find abducted Israeli teens Gil-ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrach and Naftali Frenkel, saying, "No orders have been given to reduce operations across Judea and Samaria. We are pursuing the same operational and intelligence effort, with aim, first and foremost, to retrieve the teens, as well as apprehend their abductors. It is only a matter of time until we find both, but as we have said from the start, this takes patience."
Credit: Kobi Meiri
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz told reporters Tuesday that "concerns grow with each passing day, but our operational assumption is that the three are alive. There is a lot of ground to cover and many places and ways in which they could have been hidden. We will continue doing what needs to be done."
Palestinian sources reported Tuesday that life in Hebron and the surrounding area were slowly returning to normal, as fewer Israeli troops were being deployed on the ground, and control of the city's entrances was given back to Palestinian security forces. City residents further reported that various IDF roadblocks and checkpoints set up inside Hebron over the past two weeks have been removed.
A senior Palestinian security official said that the cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian security forces now focused on intelligence gathering efforts. He noted that both sides were working closely together and that the Palestinian security forces' operations against Hamas operatives in Hebron were ongoing.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted Tuesday that he "appreciated" the comments made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, denouncing the abduction, saying the statement was "important."
Meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said, "If Abbas really meant what he said, he must dismantle the alliance with Hamas."
Netanyahu also commented on recent statement by Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, who praised the abduction, saying, "We heard him laud and defend the abduction. Mashaal has made it clear that Hamas is committed to fighting Israel and its citizens."
Also on Tuesday, Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair commented on the recent developments in the region. "I am deeply troubled by the ongoing events in Israel and the Palestinian territories, including the deaths of Palestinian civilians, and the wide-scale arrests," he said in a statement posted on his office's website.
"Israel must act with restraint when operating in populated Palestinian areas -- including Gaza -- and ensure that civilians are not harmed. Steps must also be taken to limit restrictions on movement and access in the West Bank.
"As I stressed last week in my meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the international community utterly condemns the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. I welcome President Abbas' condemnation of this heinous act," Blair said.
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=18387
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
No comments:
Post a Comment