Since the so-called cease-fire in January, the government ordered the army to ease regulations that barred Arabs from traveling along major roads near the Negev's 1967 border. Soldiers had been allowed to shoot at anyone who violated the ban.
New orders permit Arabs to travel freely in Gaza and therefore do not allow soldiers enough time to open fire at suspects, senior officers have told IDF Chief of Staff Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon. One officer of the IDF's Southern Command said that the new rules have increased the risk of terrorist attacks, and have reduced the ability of the IDF to prevent them.
Since the change in regulations, soldiers have captured more than 40 Arabs who managed to leave their towns and infiltrate the Western Negev. The officers warned Ya'alon that most of the infiltrators were seeking work, but that terrorists could just as easily cross the Gaza security barrier, where there are several kibbutzim.
Dan Harel, head of the Southern Command, revealed to Negev council leaders that after the planned evacuation, terrorists will likely try to attack with drones similar to those use by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.
New orders permit Arabs to travel freely in Gaza and therefore do not allow soldiers enough time to open fire at suspects, senior officers have told IDF Chief of Staff Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon. One officer of the IDF's Southern Command said that the new rules have increased the risk of terrorist attacks, and have reduced the ability of the IDF to prevent them.
Since the change in regulations, soldiers have captured more than 40 Arabs who managed to leave their towns and infiltrate the Western Negev. The officers warned Ya'alon that most of the infiltrators were seeking work, but that terrorists could just as easily cross the Gaza security barrier, where there are several kibbutzim.
Dan Harel, head of the Southern Command, revealed to Negev council leaders that after the planned evacuation, terrorists will likely try to attack with drones similar to those use by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.