Netanyahu resists pressure for war in Gaza, but flames multiply – Israel News

There was a particular scene when Likud lawmakers met in Jerusalem this week. Netanyahu announced his decision to close the Kerem Shalom border crossing into the Gaza Strip – and was greeted with a round of applause from members of his party.

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The video of his harsh statement was broadcast immediately on social media. What seemed less important, it was the facts: The crossing point was not closed (Israel reduced the goods receipt but did not stop the transfer of food products and medicines in Gaza). In addition, some 2,000 trucks have crossed the Rafah crossing from Egypt with the latter's approval, and Israeli intelligence estimates that the chances of success of the last move are slim.

However, the Prime Minister had to believe that something was being done in the light of the fires that continue to rage in Israeli border communities. The media and right-wing critics have already pushed Netanyahu into a military operation that he did not want in the Gaza Strip twice: the Pillar of Defense operation (2012) and the operation. Protective Edge (2014). This time, he looked better prepared to stay firm in the breach, but not to take his responsibilities.

As Netanyahu traveled to Moscow to discuss strategic ideas of utmost importance with Putin, the responsibility turned elegantly to the Minister of the defense. That's Lieberman who stayed at home with adverse opinion polls and growing complaints from Israelis living near the Gaza Strip.

The Minister of Defense also knows a thing or two about the job of diverting fire. On Tuesday, the daily Ma & Ariv published the title "Lieberman vs. the defense establishment".

According to the report of journalist Ben Caspit, Lieberman wants a strong and extensive operation against those who launch incendiary kites and balloons, even at the cost of a war in Gaza. However, it turns out that the military and the security service of Shin Bet are against such a thing. Security ministers who were questioned on the issue said they were unaware of any disagreement between the defense minister and security officials.

In reality, however, it seems that the government shares the concerns of security professionals. The fact that the fires have not yet resulted in death allows him to continue playing time and distractions from the hat.

At IDF Central Command, they see a less dramatic picture than that drawn by the sometimes hysterical media – echoing the atmosphere that is found on social media (some accounts regulating accounts with Netanyahu). The damage caused by the fires is less than that caused by rocket batteries and mortar shells, not to mention the war unleashed by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The military argues that the step-by-step solution that it has formulated to the threat of kites is starting to yield results, and simultaneously the response time of the firefighting teams. 39, also improves. The IDF also has reservations about some of the recommendations of members of the security cabinet – including Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Education Minister Naftali Bennett – to shoot people who launch kites .

Hamas takes great care in assigning this task to young people aged 15 and under; this is not a target that justifies dropping a bomb from an F-15. In addition, snipers are not effective because the kites are mostly launched at a distance of nearly 2 kilometers from the border fence.

However, at the central command, they admit, in much the same breath, that the three and a half years of relative calm that have reigned along the Gaza border since the Protective Edge operation have come to an end after the wave of border demonstrations and subsequent kite attacks.

Hamas is determined to continue using these means, and the IDF's concern is only exacerbated by growing signs of instability in the West Bank. The atmosphere is tense, both because of the growing succession battles and as a projection of tension in Gaza.

The decision of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reduce by one-third the aid provided to Gaza ($ 82 million per month) contributes to the worsening of the economic situation in the Gaza Strip . It is expected that this will soon be accompanied by the reduction of US funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. The organization provides assistance to about 1.2 million people in the Gaza Strip, employs 13,000 people and provides education to 230,000 students.

It is doubtful that the Israeli sanction at the Kerem Shalom crossing will lead to escape from this trap. The army, with the support of Netanyahu in the meantime, is trying to avoid a war with Hamas in Gaza. However, continuous fires – especially if they result in casualties in Israeli border communities – are likely to provoke a more severe military response. This will not necessarily be limited to the logistical infrastructure that has been built around kite and balloon launchers. Another possible step is an Israeli "demonstration of capabilities", in which Hamas military targets are attacked for several days, with the aim of reminding the leadership of the organization of the expected price of another war. .

The IDF Chief of Staff, General Gadi Eisenkot, will undoubtedly be questioned about this when he appears before the Knesset Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense next week. . In the background, there will be a recent warning from the IDF's ombudsman, Major General Yitzhak Brik, that the level of readiness and fitness of ground forces is insufficient in the event of a new war. in Gaza. The chief of staff, who refutes Brik's claim, will have to deal with a number of issues – from kiting to nuclear. The IDF, under the command of Eisenkot, is conducting a successful military campaign against Iranians across the border and, for the most part, far from the public eye. But it still has to provide answers to simpler and more immediate challenges, such as the children of Gaza and their kites.