Major General Gallant: "The terrorists will think twice before attempting another kidnapping"

Major General Gallant. Archive Photo: IDF Spokesperson.


GOC Central Command Major General Yoav Gallant spoke today about the progress of Operation Summer Rains in the Gaza Strip for the return of the kidnapped soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit.

"I think that in the area where we operate, actions, talk, and suggestions are valuable only when things actually happen, and I suggest we take them with a grain of salt," said the Major General concerning the suggestion of the Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya, to establish a cease fire. "If the Palestinians would like to end this matter, they should return Gilad Shalit, cease their firing and terror attacks, and we will stop the activities of our forces. While this still does not happen, we will continue our operations where we think there is a need for further action."

"We are prepared to continue the operation . . . we do not have a time limit"

"I suggest we consider our operation in terms of the long run, rather than our daily activities," added Major General Gallant. "We are prepared to continue the operation for another month, a couple of months, or even longer if needed. We do not have a time limit - we have time to operate and we will do whatever is needed. The fact of the matter is that when the Palestinians make their calculations in a few months they will count hundreds of killed terrorists, damaged infrastructure, offices that were destroyed, and damaged production facilities. When they make the general calculations they will think twice before executing another attack or another kidnapping attempt."

On the subject of Qassam rocket launches against Israel and the IDF response to them, Major General Gallant commented that "the system in which they fire from a specific site, and we are dragged into operations that are in a sense convenient for the terror organizations, is not our intention. The operation is conducted in the form of an invasion, and in the form of centralized activities of our forces, with the Golani Brigade operating in northern Gaza together with aerial and marine activities. We will conduct operations in other areas and I assume the results will be similar."

"The situation is very complicated. I visited the Shalit household and spoke to Gilad's parents. The family supports and stands behind this operation and I would like to praise them for their conduct and for their trust and belief in the IDF and the defense establishment," concluded Major General Gallant.