Israeli general says army ready to invade Gaza
19 Jul 2007 16:03:26 GMT

By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM, July 19 (Reuters) - Israeli forces have made preparations to invade the Gaza Strip to stop a guerrilla build-up by Hamas and may only have a limited opportunity to launch such an attack, a top army commander said on Thursday.

The seizure of Gaza by Iranian-backed Hamas Islamists last month has set the Jєωιѕн state on edge, stirring fears in Israel of a big increase in attacks from the Palestinian enclave.

Security hawks want a major sweep soon but the government, bruised by last year's war with Hezbollah, seems reluctant.

"Israel has well drawn-up plans, the troops have been trained and await the go-ahead. If we opt to launch an operation, we'll know what to do," the Israeli commander was quoted as telling Israeli journalists at a briefing.

"There will also be a price to pay. The Israel Defence Forces are prepared to pay that price."

The commander said there was an opportunity to carry out such an operation now: "as the world has not yet grown accustomed to the new Hamas entity, and Hamas has not yet completed bolstering its military capabilities."

Reuters obtained a copy of the transcript and a military source identified the commander quoted as a senior general. A government spokeswoman said the officer's opinion was not necessarily shared by cabinet and declined further comment.

Israeli strategists believe an invasion of Gaza now might be even bloodier than some of the offensives into the territory in recent years and could result in scores of dead troops and as many as 10 times that number of Palestinian dead.

Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 after 38 years of occupation, though raids against militants have continued.

LULL

The general said Hamas has a "well-armed, well-trained army" in Gaza thanks to weapons smuggling and recruitment drives.

Although Hamas has scaled back rocket attacks on Israel, especially since defeating Fatah rivals in fighting last month, the Israeli commander called this a temporary lull being used by the group to expand its arsenal.

Hamas, which won Palestinian elections last year, describes itself as a victim of Fatah attempts to undermine its democratic mandate and has lobbied for understanding in the West.

Hamas rejects agreements signed by Fatah leaders recognising the Jєωιѕн state's right to exist, but offers a long-term truce. It makes no secret of building up a force of some 20,000 men, calling this a means of defending Gaza.

Hamas also accuses Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, from Fatah, of giving a discreet green light to Israeli attacks on Gaza by dissolving a government led by the Islamists and branding them illegitimate "putschists".

"He wanted to incite the enemy to strike the Palestinian people. He clearly asked the enemy to invade the Gaza Strip," senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar told a news conference.

Some Israeli officials believe Gaza could become a battleground in a conflict between Iran and the West.

Similar fears were partly behind Israel's offensive into Lebanon last year after Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas seized two soldiers. The war ended inconclusively and damaged Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's standing at home.

Responding to the Israeli general's comments on Gaza, a spokeswoman for Olmert said the commander had been speaking only for himself. She noted that Israeli forces had carried out regular strikes against militants in Gaza.

"Assessment of our national security is up to the cabinet. This officer's opinion is not necessarily that of everyone," Miri Eisin said.

"Israel is not passive when it comes to the threat from the Gaza Strip, but we don't volunteer details on our activities."