[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: The so-called period of calm may be explained by
the decision by Hamas to accept Israel's offer that Hamas can do anything
and everything to prepare to attack Israel as long as calm is maintained
until Hamas decides it is indeed ready to attack the Jewish State. ]
IDF Invests 2.4 Billion NIS to Combat Hamas Terror Tunnels
During the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees review, IDF Chief of Staff
Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot addressed the threats along Israel’s borders saying
that the Gazan front is the IDF’s top priority in 2017
IsraelDefense 23/02/2017
http://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/28640

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot arrived before the Israeli Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committees to address the security threats facing
Israel.

Lt. Gen. Eizenkot referred to the goals set by the IDF for 2016 and said
that the first and foremost goal is maintaining the IDF's preparedness for
war, which was reached on the level planned. He added that there had been an
improvement in the level and amount of training, in intelligence
capabilities and ammunition inventories.

The Chief of Staff stressed that at the outset of any campaign, besides
attacking targets with force, ground force deployment achieved with maximum
effect and in minimal time is crucial for attaining victory and defeating
the enemy.

Eizenkot said that during the first half of 2016, the wave of terror
initiated in 2015 continued but in the second half the security situation
improved. He stressed that the struggle against terror continues unabated
and in the last 15 months the IDF has killed 171 terrorists. On all fronts,
there was widespread operational activity, most of which was hidden from
public knowledge and this brought a period of calm and strengthened IDF
deterrence capability.

The IDF's top officer repeated his opinion that the key aspect of reducing
terror was the use of force correctly in a way that distinguishes between
terror and the Palestinian Arab population, as well as allowing the dynamics
of life, work and study to continue on the Palestinian side at all times.

He added that during the years prior to 2017 and in 2017, 45% of those who
performed terror attacks had Israeli ID cards.

“The IDF’s top priority in 2017 is the Gazan front"

Lt. Gen. Eizenkot said that the IDF was closely monitoring developments in
Gaza. The results of the Hamas elections which led to the election of
convicted murderer Yahya Sanwar to head the terror organization prove that
any line separating political leadership and military leadership that was
created in the past has been blurred to the point of being completely
erased.

Regarding the Hamas tunnel threat, the Chief of Staff stated that “the
efforts in response to the tunnel issue has continued since October 2013,
while 2.4 Billion NIS have been invested in the matter this year.”

Furthermore, Eizenkot addressed Israel’s northern neighbors, Syria and
Lebanon. Concerning the Syrian front on the Golan Heights, it was expected
that fighting would continue to attain control of the Syrian side of the
Golan.

“Although Hezbollah forces are gaining significant operational experience
during their activity in Syria, this activity caused a budget and moral
crisis within the terrorist organization,” said Eizenkot. “Nasrallah’s
current declarations are designed to produce a deterrent equation aimed at
maintaining his status quo. On this front, along with the Gazan front, I don’t
see a willingness from the other side to initiate activity against Israel.”

The IDF Chief of Staff also referred to the Elor Azariya indictment and
stated that the external intervention was damaging and was accompanied by
numerous inaccuracies which the public adopted and which had no connection
to the factual truth. He stressed that he sees a difference between a
soldier erring, which the officer must use as a lesson for others and a
soldier demonstrating negligence or moral turpitude, which cannot be
tolerated. As for possible repercussions on other incidents, Eizenkot said
that since the Hebron incident in March 2016 there had been 200 other
incidents and in none of them did the forces involved hesitate to shoot