IDF officers: Send us into Gaza

The IDF is starting to pressure the Israeli government, or at least, that’s what I’m concluding after reading this:

Senior IDF officers serving in Gaza are frustrated over what they describe as the army’s lack of resolve and limited action against terror emanating from the Strip.

“This week I returned from another standby shift at the combat helicopter base where I do my reserve duty,” lit.-Col. N told Ynet. “Again we did nothing, despite a Qassam and mortar barrage fired by terrorists at the entire sector.”

N says that he feels obligated to warn that the IDF is not doing enough to counter terrorism from Gaza.

“The Gaza Strip is a narrow area, almost entirely closed off, the terrorist forces are relatively small and their weapons – although they are improving every day as a result of our lack of action – still don’t constitute a significant threat to our forces.

And he’s not alone.

Many other officers share N’s views and feel that a lot more could be done if only the political echelon gave the army more leeway. “Our activity carries no deterrence, and the enemy understands he can launch rockets non-stop without suffering a response,” an officer familiar with the area said.

One of the officers pointed to the fact that the IDF’s operations are mainly defensive in nature. “We don’t initiate enough, and this hurts us. Every Qassam that lands in Israel prompts frustration among the soldiers,” he stressed.

Israel’s Independence Day celebrations are almost upon us. Analysts wrote that nothing will happen until after the dignitaries have come and gone. Meantime, kassam rockets are again fired with impunity.

Residents of the western Negev communities awoke, yet again, to the sound of the Color Red alert on Sunday, as 10 Qassam rockets fired from northern Gaza landed throughout the area.

One person was lightly wounded and treated by Magen David Adom paramedics on the scene. Two teenaged girls suffered shock.

There are no news articles from the mainstream media reporting the upswing in rocket barrages. There was almost no mention of yesterday’s attack on the Nahal Oz fuel transfer station. Because if violence occurs in Israel, it is only violence initiated by Israel, which is then described as “retaliating” for rocket or terror attacks. I am unsurprised, as, I’m sure, are all of you.