Israel practices national preparedness for war, mass evacuations

The IDF “Exercise Turning Point 15” was launched across Israel Sunday with the accent on the functioning of national infrastructure services including, water, power, gas and food supplies for populations affected by a multi-front and/or massive terrorist attack

Ex-Israeli Security Chief Diskin: ‘All the Conditions Are There for an Explosion’

In an interview with SPIEGEL, Yuval Diskin, former director of Israel’s internal security service Shin Bet, speaks of the current clash between Israel and the Palestinians, what must be done to achieve peace and the lack of leadership in the Middle East.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Diskin, following 10 days of airstrikes, the Israeli army launched a ground invasion in the Gaza Strip last week. Why now? And what is the goal of the operation?

Diskin: Israel didn’t have any other choice than to increase the pressure, which explains the deployment of ground troops. All attempts at negotiation have failed thus far. The army is now trying to destroy the tunnels between Israel and the Gaza Strip with a kind of mini-invasion, also so that the government can show that it is doing something. Its voters have been increasingly vehement in demanding an invasion. The army hopes the invasion will finally force Hamas into a cease-fire. It is in equal parts action for the sake of action and aggressive posturing. They are saying: We aren’t operating in residential areas; we are just destroying the tunnel entrances. But that won’t, of course, change much in the disastrous situation. Rockets are stored in residential areas and shot from there as well.

Syrians reported attacking the Israelis on daily basis along Golan Heights

Western diplomatic sources said Israeli and Syrian forces were battling on a nearly daily basis along the Golan Heights. They said the fighting often began with Syrian Army or proxy attacks on Israel Army outposts and vehicles.

Israeli intel: Chemical weapons, ‘apparently sarin’, used by Syria in Aleppo attack

TEL AVIV — For the first time, Israel has provided details of Syrian Army chemical weapons attacks on Sunni rebels.

Officials said Military Intelligence has determined that Syrian President Bashar Assad was ordering CW attacks on the rebels in several areas around Syria. They said several CW agents were used in reduced form to prevent mass casualties.

“To the best of our professional understanding, the regime has made use of deadly chemical weapons against the rebels in a number of incidents in the past few months,” MI research director Brig. Gen. Itai Brun said.