In a briefing to the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Chief of
Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said the military could not stop Palestinian
missile strikes from the Gaza Strip through air or artillery operations.
Ashkenazi said Israeli attacks on Palestinian infrastructure have also
failed to stop Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunners.
"His main message was that the only solution to end the missile strikes
was a ground invasion," a Cabinet source said.
The briefing took place in wake of a decision by the Olmert government
not to respond to increasing Kassam-class, short-range missile strikes from
the Gaza Strip. The strikes have injured several Israelis in the nearby city
of Sderot, home to Defense Minister Amir Peretz, Middle East Newsline reported.
"If this situation continues, there will be no choice but to operate,"
Ashkenazi said.
Ashkenazi, who replaced Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz in February 2007, said air
and artillery fire would not prevent Palestinian missile strikes. He said
Israel was also forced to repair Palestinian power stations in the Gaza
Strip targeted in air force strikes.
A senior intelligence officer, identified as the deputy director of the
Israel Security Agency, said Hamas capabilities have been significantly
improved over the last year. The officer, dubbed by his first initial "Y,"
said Hamas has sent hundreds of operatives for training in Iran and Syria,
and the organization has received large numbers of weapons in the Gaza
Strip.
Y said Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives trained by Iran in explosives
have entered the Gaza Strip to enhance Palestinian weaponry. No further
details were available.
