Army chief: Sinai attack a reminder of the dangers of regional instability
Benny Gantz praises accurate intelligence and operational readiness as key to thwarting Sunday's terror assault
The attack on the Israel-Egypt border is yet another reminder of the inherent dangers of an unstable Middle East, IDF Chief of General Staff Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz said on Wednesday.
“The attempts by terror organizations to attack the citizens and the sovereignty of Israel continue,” Gantz said at a military graduation ceremony. “So the IDF must remain ready… and strong in order to continue providing an operational response to any scenario.”
Gantz also praised the IDF actions on Sunday in preventing what could have been a devastating attack inside of Israel. “This attempt, like those before it, was quickly averted by IDF forces thanks to accurate intelligence and alert and well-trained operational forces.”
The attack on Sunday originated on the Egyptian side of the border, in the northern Sinai, when Islamist terrorists opened fire on a military base in Rafah, killing 16 Egyptian soldiers. The terrorists then commandeered an armored personnel vehicle (APV) and a truck and sped towards Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. The truck exploded at the border, and the Israeli air force destroyed the APV.