Former Gaza Division Commander Brigadier-General (reserves) Tzvika Fogel spoke with Channel 2 News TV on Tuesday morning, Tisha B’Av. The former senior official was in the studio when the barrage of Hamas rocket fire struck many areas of southern and Central Israel.

As the host of the program expressed the rocket attacks ahead of the 72-hour ceasefire were “expected”, Fogel added “we have lost our minds”. Fogel questioned why in a sane society sane people announce they expect to be attacked by rocket fire, unprovoked rocket fire. He asked “Why shouldn’t Hamas have expected Israel to fire minutes before the ceasefire and why do we also explain away Hamas’ actions”.

Fogel said that people are nothing less than delirious if they believe a peace agreement can be reached with Hamas. He added that there are a growing number of people who feel Egypt is going to address the tunnel system in Gaza. He says this is simply untrue. He questions why if Egypt is on top of the tunnel issue, referring to tunnels leading to Rafiach and Egypt, why Israel has yet to see a single photograph to back the Egyptian claim. “A photo is worth a thousand words we were taught so let’s see the Egyptian photos” Fogel stated.

Fogel feels Egypt is clueless and uninterested and will not do anything worthwhile regarding Israeli concerns of Hamas using tunnels to rearm. “Egypt will not dismantle anything” he added with a measure of certainty.

“What I ask is why we don’t announce Protective Edge II today and strike Hamas where they don’t expect it, eliminating all of its leaders”.

He added that Israel has targeted enemies in Iran and many other countries and from his years of experience he does not believe that Israel cannot target Ismail Haniyeh and his associates in the bunkers under Shefa Hospital. “The problem is the leaders do not have what it takes to make the difficult decision”.

He agrees that there is international pressure towards demilitarizing Gaza but Israel must first finish what has to be done and the IDF has been halted far from that scenario. He admits continuing the warfare will carry a heavy price but warns ominously that not acting will carry a far heavier price in the future as we see each round of warfare with Hamas becomes more treacherous and difficult.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)