Israel’s army chief vows Gaza ‘will never be the same again’

By Abdel Rauf Arnaut

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi vowed on Thursday to launch a long and decisive attack on the Gaza Strip, saying the territory “will never be the same again.”

The Israeli attack “will take time and will require a cool head,” Halevi said in a speech to his soldiers.

The top military official pledged that the Israeli army will be creating “a new reality in Gaza” for the security of the lives of Israeli citizens.

Halevi held Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the weekend attack into Israeli territory.

"This abominable attack was decided on by Yahya Sinwar, the sovereign in Gaza, which makes him and all of his apparatus under him dead men,” he said.

"We will reach a situation in which those who led Gaza will be subjected to a severe strike. We will dismantle them, whoever is left in charge (in Gaza) will understand very well that you do not do such things to the State of Israel."

Halevi admitted that the Israeli army failed to provide security for Israeli citizens. "We will learn, and we will investigate, but now is the time for war,” said.

In a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air, which Hamas said was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response to Hamas' actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

More than 2,700 people have been killed since the outbreak of the conflict on Saturday, including over 1,400 Palestinians and 1,300 Israelis.