Israel Against Escalating Situation With Gaza, Ready For Any Scenario - Chief Of Staff

Israel Against Escalating Situation With Gaza, Ready for Any Scenario - Chief of Staff

Israel does not want to see the situation along the Gaza Strip's border worsen but stands ready to defend itself in case any attack, Aviv Kochavi, the chief of General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), said on Tuesday, commenting on growing tensions after the killing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Group (PIJ) commander

TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2019) Israel does not want to see the situation along the Gaza Strip's border worsen but stands ready to defend itself in case any attack, Aviv Kochavi, the chief of General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), said on Tuesday, commenting on growing tensions after the killing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Group (PIJ) commander.

Baha Abu Al Ata was killed at his home in an IDF airstrike earlier in the day. The 42-year-old leader was said to have been "responsible for hundreds of terror attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers" and was suspected of preparing a new attack against Israel. His death has led to a spike in tension along Gaza's borders, with the Israeli military registering 50 rockets being fired from the Palestinian territory, of which 20 were intercepted.

"We do not want escalation. But we understand that this is possible. We are ready to defend Israel from the sea, on land and in the air. We are ready to defend ourselves against a new attack that has already begun. We are ready to continue targeted operations. We do not want escalation, but we are ready for any scenario," Kochavi said at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The chief of General Staff said that killing Al Ata was necessary, as his activities undermined Israel's security and its attempts to achieve reconciliation with the Gaza Strip.

Amid the growing escalation, schools were closed in several cities across southern and central Israel. Train services between Ashkelon and Sderot, as well as between Beer Sheva and Sderot, was shut down. For security reasons, indoor gatherings of no more than 300 people were allowed in a number of regions.