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IDF Chief warns of Gaza escalation

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The head of the Israeli armed forces warned Cabinet Ministers of the increased likelihood of military confrontation with Hamas due to the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip yesterday.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen. Gadi Eisenkot made the distinction between making an urgent effort to halt the humanitarian deterioration, which he said was in Israel’s interest, and the long term rehabilitation by means of large-scale projects, which should be on condition of returning the bodies of IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin.

Last week, Israel presented a billion-dollar plan for humanitarian and infrastructure projects in Gaza, along with a request to the international community to fund it, to an emergency session of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in Brussels. The plan includes Israeli assistance in building infrastructure for desalination, electricity and natural gas and the upgrading of the industrial zone at the Erez border crossing into Gaza.

US Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt criticised Iranian financial assistance to Gaza, which he says Hamas uses for tunnels and weapons instead of improving the humanitarian situation. He said: “Hamas should be improving the lives of those it purports to govern, but instead chooses to increase violence and cause misery for the people of Gaza. Imagine what the people of Gaza could do with the $100 million Iran gives Hamas annually that Hamas uses for weapons and tunnels to attack Israel!”

Israeli officials have questioned whether Hamas is deliberately making the crisis in Gaza worse so that Israel will pressure Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to pay the salaries of public officials in the Gaza Strip.

On Friday evening a missile was fired from the Gaza Strip toward Israel, the second incident in 24 hours. The Israeli air force hit two Hamas targets in Gaza in response. Last week, Israel prevented attempts to smuggle dual-use chemical substances, which can be used to make explosives, through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The materials were discovered in a shipment of medical equipment.

Yesterday, Al-Hayat quoted leaders of various factions in the Gaza Strip, primarily Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who said that Israel would take advantage of current training manoeuvres in southern Israel to start a war against Hamas.