IDF chief: Military increasing readiness for ‘next stage of the fighting in north’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is increasing its readiness for “the next stage in the fighting in the north,” following yesterday’s deadly Hezbollah rocket attack on Majdal Shams.

“We know exactly where the rocket was launched from. We examined here on the wall of the soccer field the remains of the rocket, and we know to say that it is a Falaq rocket with a fifty-three-kilogram warhead. This is a Hezbollah rocket. And whoever fires such a rocket into an urban area wants to kill civilians, wants to kill children,” Halevi says in a video statement from the scene.

“We are greatly increasing our readiness for the next stage of fighting in the north, as we are simultaneously fighting in Gaza. We know how to attack even very far from the State of Israel. There will be more challenges, we will raise our readiness,” he says.

“When required we will act strongly. Our duty is to return the residents to the north safely to their homes, in the entire north, the Galilee and the Golan Heights… it is a hard day, we will work for better days,” Halevi adds.