Benny Gantz said that if Hezbollah or another terror group were to get hold of Syria's chemical weapons cache, Israeli military action could become 'broader' than originally intended.
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said on Tuesday that if Syria's chemical weapons were to get into the wrong hands, such as those of Hezbollah, IDF military action could turn into an unintentionally broad campaign.
On Monday, a senior Israeli official said that Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime has taken precautions to avoid chemical weapons falling into rebel hands.
Speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday, Gantz reiterated that the security of chemical weapons caches in Syria has recently increased, but added that there was no guarantee that this would remain the status quo.
"To the best of my knowledge, at this moment there is control over this system…and it has not yet passed to bad hands - that not to say that this will stay this way. It is likely that this will change, and then we will have a dilemma," said Gantz.
Gantz talked in detail about what could happen if Syria's chemical weapons cache were to get into the wrong hands, including Hezbollah, and other global terror groups.
According to Gantz, a military strike in the event of a transfer of chemical weapons, could lead to an unintentionally "broad campaign" if the IDF were to attack a number of targets.
"There is a possibility that we will find it hard to locate (the shipments of transferred chemical weapons) and if you work broadly you can quite quickly find yourself in a campaign that is broader than you had intended."
Gantz said it was important to take into account "what will be left over after we act, and into which hands it has gotten into."
Gantz also summed up Syrian army activity at various flashpoints throughout the country, and pointed out that Syrian forces are concentrating their efforts in Damascus and Aleppo, and have received a substantial amount of support from Iran and Hezbollah, including professional consultation, armaments, and manpower.
“This friction is coming close to Israel, and could materialize. We are monitoring it closely,” said Gantz. Just yesterday, the fighting came very close to the Syrian border with Israel and towns in northern Israel as Syrian army mortar shells, fired at the Syrian village of Jubata Al Khashab, landed very close to the Israel-Syria border, frightening residents of nearby towns.
Gantz added that recent defections from within the ranks of the Syrian army are not only emboldening opposition forces, but also weakening government forces, the effects of which will “get worse with time.”
According to IDF Northern Command estimations, the next developments in Syria, following the continued violence in Damacus, will be a breakdown of Syrian army structure, and then a dramatic collapse within the high command. Up until this point, the IDF has noted that the equivalent of roughly a platoon or a company of Syrian soldiers have defected.
Meanwhile, Syrian rebels said on Tuesday morning that government forces have moved chemical weapons to airports near the country's borders - a day after the regime warned it could use them if Syria is attacked by an external force.
Gantz also spoke about the terrorist attack that took place in Bulgaria last week, informing the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel’s security forces will find a way to “respond in deterring fashion after such an attack.”
“It does not need to be done through only one channel, but rather as part of our greater activities. We take everything into consideration, and in the end, a response will come,” continued Gantz.
Gantz also added that Israel has thwarted 15 attempts at attacking Israeli targets abroad, and that according to IDF estimations, the attack in Burgas was carried out by Hezbollah with Iranian support. “The fact that we disrupted 15 earlier [attempts] does not erase this last attack. We must continue in our efforts of disruption,” said Gantz.
Gants also reported on other security issues. According to Gantz, IDF Southern Command has already reported attempts to destroy the parts of the Israel-Egypy border fence, meant to facilitate smuggling.
Speaking about the situation in Gaza, Gantz added that “the time will come and I suppose we will be unable to act there.”
As for African migrants crossing into Israel, the numbers seems to have gone down. Thus far in July, roughly 210 migrants found their way into Israel, as opposed to 928 in June, according to the Population and Immigration Authority.
Addressing the IDF draft issues, Gantz added that the challenges facing the IDF require an increase in the number of conscripts. “Any good young man that handle a gun is okay by me, and we will make any preparations requested of us. I’m troubled by the voices calling for shortening service before other solutions are found,” said Gantz.
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