Palestinian-Islamists in the Gaza Strip are developing unmanned aerial vehicles for the purpose of attacking Israel. According to a senior Israeli military official, Hamas and its Jihadist allies are developing tactical aerial capabilities to carry out reconnaissance and targeted-attacks. The presiding assessment in Tel Aviv is that ‘these means are expected to be used in a next wide-scale conflict between the Islamist groups in Gaza and the Jewish State.’
Meanwhile, IDF troops shot down a small drone that flew near the border fence in the southern part of the Palestinian enclave on Saturday evening. The UAV had reportedly crossed into Israeli airspace before being downed, and its debris was consequently located on Israeli territory and collected for further examination. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement that the vehicle was loaded with any dangerous materials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that Israel is “developing technological and other tools to defeat and counter this threat” posed by Gaza’s latest tactical challenges. In his opening remarks to Jerusalem’s weekly cabinet meeting, the Israeli leader underscored that the country’s security establishment will produce the necessary unique tools to counter this growing phenomenon. “I have assigned this mission to the Chairman of the National Security Council together with the various arms of the security agencies,” he informed the ministers, adding that “ I estimate that we are capable of achieving results here, as we did with the active defense of Iron Dome, and be the best in the world, in order to provide the citizens of Israel with maximum defense.”
It is important to mention that in multiple conversations with senior intelligence officials, TV7 has learned that many Islamic terror groups are trying to emulate terror-related methods that were successfully used by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including its operational usage of drones – among other means – that were utilized in the devastating attack against two Saudi oil facilities on September 14. During his cabinet meeting, Netanyahu cited the commander of U.S. Central Command responsible for US forces in the Middle East, General Kenneth F. McKenzie, saying that Iran is planning another attack. “This is true, additional attacks,” said Netanyahu, stressing that “However, Iran is not only attacking its neighbors and us, Iran is also attacking its citizens.” He went on to say, “In recent weeks, they have slaughtered hundreds of Iranian citizens.” The Israeli leader called Tehran leadership “a tyrannical regime par excellence, the image and true face of which is now being exposed to the entire world,” asserting “This is the largest terrorist regime in the world, regarding its own citizens as well.” Netanyahu concluded his remarks with a “call on all countries around the world that want to achieve peace and stability in our region, and throughout the world in general, to join in the effort and apply more and more pressure on Iran, and, additionally, to support Israel as it takes action against this aggression. We have taken action and we will continue to do so.”
Following the cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu traveled north for a security-related tour of the Israeli border with Syria. After he, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Eyal Zamir received a detailed briefing from the head of the IDF Northern Command, Major General Amir Bar’am, Netanyahu underscored the nation’s unrelenting resolve to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from achieving its goals. “Iran’s aggression in our region, and against us, continues,” said Netanyahu. “We are taking all necessary actions to prevent Iran from entrenching here in our region. This includes the activity necessary to thwart the transfer of lethal weaponry from Iran to Syria, whether by air or overland.” He continued, “We will also take action to thwart Iran’s effort to turn Iraq and Yemen into bases for launching rockets and missiles against the State of Israel,” stressing that “Our commitment and our readiness to struggle against Iranian aggression is absolute and we are acting with all means to prevent Iran from achieving its goals.”
When asked whether the latest domestic political and legal developments hampered the Israeli leader’s ability to function against the country’s security challenges, namely Iran; Netanyahu insisted that he will persist with his wide array of efforts to preserve the security of the citizens and state of Israel. “I am doing everything necessary to continue the work of the government and the Security Cabinet from which I have just come,” he declared, elaborating, “by all necessary means, to preserve the security of the citizens of Israel and the things that are essential for the State of Israel.”
While Netanyahu has primarily devoted the past few days to safeguarding the Jewish state from regional foes, his legal woes continue to trigger sporadic demonstrations across the country. Reuters cited pro-Netanyahu protester Gavi Alevny saying, “We are protesting here to stand with Bibi [Netanyahu’s nickname], against the injustice that most of the leftists who think that they rule the court and above the law but they are not; so they try to shoot down the right wing in Israel.” Anti-Netanyahu protester Amichay Tamir told the news agency he awarded “Big respect to the system in Israel that is prosecuting the prime minister; on the other hand, it’s a shame for us that this is the situation with our prime minister, and Netanyahu is not a new one. He is in control, he is the prime minister in the last ten years, so its about time for him to go to the court and try to establish that he is innocent and leave us with his position and with his duty.”
The Prime Minister responded to Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit’s decision to indict him last week by accusing the country’s prosecutors and police of perpetrating an attempted “legal coup,” as he vowed to battle against the so-called corrupt ‘deep state’ by launching investigations against those who investigated him and his family. Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz condemned those harsh allegations from his political rival. “The Right in recent in weeks are left no room for no doubt,” said the former IDF Chief of Staff, pointedly saying, “Netanyahu is threatening a civil war with his call of incitement.” Gantz continued with a call, “I stand here in front of you in the name of many people on the Right and Left and say: it’s time to heal Israeli society from the plague of hatred.”