IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon continues to object to Prime Minister Sharon's unilateral withdrawal plan. "Retreat under fire is no solution," he said last night. He made similar remarks the night before at the Erez Crossing, several hours after the thwarted multi-attack, noting that he cannot rule out the possibility that the current increase in terrorism is "connected with the disengagement plan." MK Tzvi Hendel said, "It's too bad that this simple truth stated by the Chief of Staff is not understood by the Prime Minister."
"This is not an intifada, a popular uprising," said Gen. Yaalon, "but rather a planned attack set by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. It reflects their lack of recognition in the State of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. It will remain with us for a very long while."
Correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that the situation in Gaza is "war in the full sense of the word, even though this has not yet trickled down to the public consciousness." Writing for Katif.net today, Huberman notes that the IDF Southern Command has found that the number of roadside bombs that exploded in the Gaza Strip in 2003 is equal to the number that exploded throughout the 18 years of warfare in Lebanon:
"The bombs are improving, as are the anti-tank shells that the terrorists manufacture themselves. There were 128 such attacks in 2002 - and 80% more in 2003! Half of these are on the Philadelphi route on the southern tip of Gaza, where there is full-scale war because of the fight over the arms-smuggling tunnels there. Despite this, the army is still arguing over whether to retreat from this area or not...
"The public seems to think that the operations in that area are like an afternoon stroll. But those in the know realize that these are very dangerous missions... Even the top IDF brass in the Gaza Strip say that the most rational explanation for the lack of casualties on our side is Divine Providence...
"Just as in the case of Lebanon, it is taking a long time for the public to understand that a real war is going on in Gaza. A unilateral retreat as planned by Sharon is not just 'retreat under fire' - it's actually 'deserting the battlefield in the height of battle.'
"If the Prime Minister listens to the top IDF officers, including those serving in Gaza, he has heard them count off the negative consequences of his planned retreat: loss of depth of vision of terrorists approaching the Gaza fence; lack of ability to operate in the cities of Gaza; and the need for larger - not smaller - forces to prevent increased terrorism after a retreat."
"This is not an intifada, a popular uprising," said Gen. Yaalon, "but rather a planned attack set by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. It reflects their lack of recognition in the State of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. It will remain with us for a very long while."
Correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that the situation in Gaza is "war in the full sense of the word, even though this has not yet trickled down to the public consciousness." Writing for Katif.net today, Huberman notes that the IDF Southern Command has found that the number of roadside bombs that exploded in the Gaza Strip in 2003 is equal to the number that exploded throughout the 18 years of warfare in Lebanon:
"The bombs are improving, as are the anti-tank shells that the terrorists manufacture themselves. There were 128 such attacks in 2002 - and 80% more in 2003! Half of these are on the Philadelphi route on the southern tip of Gaza, where there is full-scale war because of the fight over the arms-smuggling tunnels there. Despite this, the army is still arguing over whether to retreat from this area or not...
"The public seems to think that the operations in that area are like an afternoon stroll. But those in the know realize that these are very dangerous missions... Even the top IDF brass in the Gaza Strip say that the most rational explanation for the lack of casualties on our side is Divine Providence...
"Just as in the case of Lebanon, it is taking a long time for the public to understand that a real war is going on in Gaza. A unilateral retreat as planned by Sharon is not just 'retreat under fire' - it's actually 'deserting the battlefield in the height of battle.'
"If the Prime Minister listens to the top IDF officers, including those serving in Gaza, he has heard them count off the negative consequences of his planned retreat: loss of depth of vision of terrorists approaching the Gaza fence; lack of ability to operate in the cities of Gaza; and the need for larger - not smaller - forces to prevent increased terrorism after a retreat."