'IDF has full operational freedom in Judea and Samaria' - Gideon Allon

by Gideon Allon

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot says 65% of Israel's regular forces are deployed in Judea and Samaria, IDF has "intelligence and operational superiority" • Over 1 billion shekels ($256 million) spent in past decade to counter terror tunnels.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot at the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, Tuesday | Photo credit: Dudi Vaaknin

Israel has invested more than 1 billion shekels ($256 million) over the past decade in efforts to counter the threat posed by Hamas' grid of terror tunnels, with over half that amount spent since 2014's Operation Protective Edge, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot said Tuesday.

Eizenkot was appearing before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to brief MKs on a series of security issues. MKs at the meeting later praised the chief of staff for answering all their questions in what one described as a "very forthright and detailed way."

Commenting on media reports that the IDF has recommended significantly decreasing its operations across Area A, which under the 1993 Oslo Accords is subject to full Palestinian control, Eizenkot said that 65% of the IDF's regular forces are currently deployed across Judea and Samaria, and the suggested plan, which has since been shelved, is something that is discussed periodically on a professional military level, independent of diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

Such professional debates seek to maximize security forces' operational efficiency, while reviewing opportunities to decrease Israel troops' operations in Palestinian cities, he noted. 

Senior defense officials said recently that while the IDF routinely operates in Area A, according to intelligence dictates, the increased IDF presence across Palestinian cities due to the current wave of terrorism is frustrating the Palestinians and is agitating the volatile situation further.

"We're in the early stage of this debate. The IDF isn't constantly present in Area A; we go in as operational needs present themselves. We had similar debates back when I headed the Judea and Samaria division, so this isn't a brand new idea. The IDF has complete operational freedom in Judea and Samaria," Eizenkot told the MKs. He added that the continued collaboration with Palestinian security forces is in both parties' interests. 

Commenting on the wave of Palestinian terrorism that began six months ago, the chief of staff said that Military Intelligence "warned of potential escalation as far back as early 2015. We made the necessary preparations, and as a result, we have intelligence and operational superiority on the ground and there are no limitations on IDF operations in the field. Nevertheless, I have to stress the fact that there is virtually no way to stop every terrorist planning a stabbing attack."

Eizenkot said that "adhering to strict rules of engagement is the only way to maintain the IDF's high ethical standards without compromising the public's security. 

"With 65% of regular troops deployed in Judea and Samaria, we're sparing no effort to ensure the public's safety. The IDF is also gearing for the possibility of further escalation, like a major terrorist attack," he said.

The Palestinian economy plays a key role in curtailing violence, Eizenkot said, and "it would be a mistake to prevent them from working in Jewish communities and the industrial zones in Judea and Samaria."

As for the situation in the Gaza Strip, Eizenkot said countering the tunnel threat is a top priority.

"The IDF is investing considerable resources in this issue, both technologically and operationally," he said. "Over the past decade, we've invested over NIS 1 billion in developing countermeasures, with over NIS 500,000 [$128 million] since Operation Protective Edge alone."

Gideon Allon

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=32467

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