Col. (res.) Rabbi Moshe Hagar, head of the pre-military preparatory program at Beit Yatir, said that what was heard in the name of the chief of staff, according to which firing on launchers of incendiary balloons is contrary to the IDF's moral and operational system, is fundamentally wrong.
He added that Israel is being dragged into an unnecessary war of attrition. "Even during the first intifada, when they started with the stone throwing, this lasted for three years with hundreds of dead. Only after three years did Bogey [Moshe] Ya'alon and Ehud Barak change the rules of engagement after realizing that this was the only way to eradicate the intifada."
"Even in the case of Gaza, it is absolutely justified to open fire on the balloon launchers," says Rabbi Hagar in an interview with Arutz Sheva.
In his opinion, there will be no choice but to conquer Gaza even at the cost of casualties. "It will happen, we just need to plan this operation well. We will take over the Gaza Strip again, and I am not talking at the moment about building communities. Just as it was in Operation Defensive Shield, when we managed to change the reality in Judea and Samaria, and no one imagined there would be such a good quality of life there for Palestinians.
"Conquering Gaza can last for hours, but it can take years to clear it of terrorists. The attrition that exists today is not healthy for the nation of Israel."