The IDF has warned government ministers that the situation in the Gaza Strip is incendiary and could lead to a new round of violence.
The IDF told ministers at Sunday’s security briefing for the cabinet that even though Hamas has no interest in starting another conflict with Israel, the situation may get out of hand, Hadashot news reports.
The report quotes ministers as saying that they were told that there is a feeling of despair in Gaza due to the persistent humanitarian crisis there, the failure of the reconciliation deal between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority and the ongoing tensions in recent weeks over Jerusalem.
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, left, visits an attack tunnel dug by a Palestinian terrorist group from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel during a visit to the area on December 20, 2017. (Israel Defense Forces)
The military told the ministers that the situation is reminiscent of the tensions on the eve of the 2014 Gaza conflict, Operation Protective Edge.
Several Ministers proposed both short and long term solutions, the report says, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his national security adviser to come up with a plan within three weeks.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
