Gabi Ashkenazi
Gabi AshkenaziPhoto by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90

Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, who is one of the Blue and White party's top candidates, explained how he worked to reduce Hamas terror and reign in the rockets from Gaza.

In a closed discussion published in Haaretz, Ashkenazi said, "We're all sick of the rounds [of violence]. Israel needs to initiate, not wait for them to shoot at us. [Israel] needs to catch the terrorists when they're not expecting it - in their camps, in their military headquarters, in their beds."

"[We] need to kill as many of Hamas' leaders, commanders, and members as possible, not be afraid of a widescale operation including sending in ground forces if need be - and immediately after that put forth a regional initiative to rehabilitate Gaza."

The second stage, Ashkenazi said, would include bringing in countries such as Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, if he agrees. This stage would include fundraising and an offer to build a desalination plant and deal with sewage waste, water purification, and electric infrastructure.

"[Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar can't be ignored anymore," Ashkenazi said. "The public there is starting to rebel. To protest. People are sick of it. If Sinwar won't fight us in Israel, he'll fight the Gazans. He prefers to lose to the IDF and not to his own people. He remembers what happened to [former Egyptian President Hosni] Mubarak."