Israeli news sources explicitly talk about the fact that the Israeli armed forces (IDF) are preparing for a “significant escalation” in the south. According to them, the IDF chief of staff, Gen. Aviv Kochavi, when taking office, gave instructions that the IDF should increase its preparation for a military campaign in the Strip. of Gaza.
Preparing for the offensive
All the members of the general staff are involved, under the coordination of the Southern Command, in the identification of the objectives, in the real-time use of intelligence by the units in the field, in training and in the logistics preparation.
In the first half of 2019, the Southern Command and the General Staff concentrated in particular the activities of all the units that could be used in the Gaza Strip in combat training, with fire drills at battalion level, enhancing collaboration with the Intelligence Division, which has the task to identify and expand the range of objectives to be struck.
In the same period, as many as 30 exercises of this type were conducted, as well as a training course, significantly called Coiled Spring, addressed to the divisional and superior level commanders, who simulated in virtual reality the fighting conditions expected in the Gaza Strip, in which the preparation of enemies is emphasized.
So much detailed information, why?
About two weeks ago, a large-scale exercise was finally carried out to test the preparation of combat commanders: eight division commanders took part, hundreds of men from the reserve, the air force and naval forces from the command of Ashdod [Israeli naval forces are organized in three sectors: Haifa, Ashdod and Red Sea].
In the last few months, a special effort has also been directed towards the provision of space, both civil and military, along the border of the Gaza Strip, under the direction of the Gaza Division’s engineers: precisely where Israeli forces should operate in the event of a new Israeli offensive.
Considering the traditional reserve of the Israeli military, at this point one wonders if such detailed information allowed to pass to the press really heralds a short-term attack or if they are part of a deception operation, to divert attention from other possible Israeli military goals: in the last few hours no shortage of news on further air strikes by the Jewish state against Iranian targets very deeply in Siria has been missed.
What is certain is that the overall situation in the Middle East would deserve much more attention from our media and our leaders. Not to mention the silence of Europe over the dangerous escalation in the area.
