Israeli security chiefs ramped up their rhetoric against Iran on Tuesday, with the head of the Israel Defense Forces warning that the military was ramping up its preparations for a possible attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Israel will carry out operations that “haven’t been seen in the past” if regional war breaks out.
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the army “is accelerating operational planning and preparedness to deal with Iran and the military nuclear threat. Thankfully, the budget that was approved [last week] makes it possible to contend with a variety of threats.”
His comments came as the Israeli Air Force is expected to resume practicing for a strike on Iran’s nuclear program.
In January, Kohavi announced he had instructed the military to begin drawing up fresh attack plans for a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and last month the government reportedly allocated billions of shekels toward making those plans viable.
In his remarks to the committee on Tuesday, Kohavi also told Knesset members that Israel faces “many security challenges” on numerous fronts.
“In the past year we’ve continued to act against our enemies in missions and secret operations throughout the entire Middle East. The IDF will continue to act to remove threats and will respond forcefully to any violation of [Israeli] sovereignty, in Gaza or in the north,” he said.
In his appearance before the committee, Kohavi hailed Israel’s current security level, saying “there is no existential threat facing the State of Israel, Israel’s freedom of operation is unprecedented and our military cooperation with our partners is highly effective.”
However, he said that the military is focused on two other main threats besides Iran’s nuclear program: air-based attacks in the form of rockets, precision missiles, cruise missiles and drones; and infiltration units, which would attempt to take over an Israeli border community.
Source: Times of Israel
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