IDF to target Hamas, Islamic Jihad rocket stockpiles before next Gaza conflict

An IDF report classified the Jewish State’s difficulty in locating and destroying rocket stockpiles in Gaza as a “failure.”

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

The IDF is stepping up plans to strike rocket stockpiles in the Gaza Strip held by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, in a preemptive move meant to limit the terror groups’ ability to operate during the next round of conflict with Israel, according to a report from Walla News.

Sources told Walla that IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi is taking steps to move forward with the plan, backed by intelligence supplied by the Shin Bet and other security agencies.

An internal report summarizing Israel’s successes and weaknesses during May 2021’s Operation Guardian of the Walls classified the Jewish State’s difficulty in locating and destroying rocket stockpiles in Gaza as a “failure.”

Some 4,000 mortar shells and rockets were launched from Gaza towards Israel during the 11 day long conflict.

While many rockets fired from Gaza were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, the technology was overwhelmed by the sheer number of rockets fired. Rockets that were not intercepted by the Iron Dome killed Israeli civilians in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan and the central city of Lod, while such deaths are typically confined to Israel’s south.

While the warning system gave Israeli citizens enough time to scramble for shelter, constant rocket launches led to the disruption of everything from the educational system to the economy, particularly in Israel’s southern communities adjacent to Gaza.

Israel is effective at preventing and thwarting offensives made via the land and sea, the report found, but significantly weaker at thwarting rocket attacks.

Security officials believe that Gaza-based terror groups, backed by Iranian support, are currently working to repair infrastructure used to launch rockets which was damaged in May.

An earlier report from the Jerusalem Center for Public and State Affairs thinktank indicated that Hamas is preparing numerous “surprises” for the next round of conflict with Israel.

Ground invasions into Israel by Hamas operatives via the Mediterranean, abductions of Israeli civilians and soldiers, and more precise rocket fire aided by UAV surveillance are some of the potential attacks that the Jewish State may see in a future clash.