(Ha'aretz) Gideon Alon - Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday that he would not recommend conquering Gaza in response to the escalation in Kassam rocket attacks on Israeli communities. He said the defense establishment is making a great effort to find technological solutions to better contend with Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, 72% of which land within Israel. Halutz added that 50% of the 38 terrorists killed by the IDF in recent months were engaged in rocket launches on Israel. A senior Military Intelligence officer said that Islamic Jihad operatives are the only ones currently firing rockets at Israel and dispatching suicide missions out of the West Bank. Halutz confirmed that "Islamic Jihad is in distress because of the pressure the IDF is exerting on it."
2006-04-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive