Fast Draw – Plans to Evacuate Instead of Fast, Lethal, Decisive Action

Fast Draw – Plans to Evacuate Instead of Fast, Lethal, Decisive Action

This post is also available in: heעברית (Hebrew)

By Arie Egozi

First the facts: If Hamas is starting to launch rockets towards Israel tomorrow, the IDF – or to be more precise the Air Force – can end the whole episode in two hours. How? The Air Force, aided by the artillery corps, has every means to do so. So why did the Southern Commander spoke this week on evacuating towns in case a new conflict breaks out in the region?

Many eyebrows were raised in wonder, hearing this. The might IDF against a terror group, and here we are preparing to evacuate towns? Someone should give the IDF the order to prepare for some decisive actions, rather than evacuation. Is there someone to give such an order? I doubt it. A faltering government whose ministers are fighting with one another is not the one to give such orders, which common sense dictates.

the IDF plan is arranged. It includes evacuating the towns of the Gaza Envelope coordinated with the regional councils according to drills already rehearsed this past year, leaving only essential workers in the settlements, and protecting the empty homes. The mayor of Sderot Alon Davidi did well in saying that he will not evacuate residents at a time of war.

The IDF plan left many in the said region in wonder and disappointment. “In the next operations we will not agree to evacuate the town of Sderot.” The southern commander replied: ‘We will consider the possibility in real time.”

These exchanges were said during a convention of the tunnel threat held this week. Even in the security system itself many wondered why the evacuation plan was mentioned.

An evacuation plan is a sign of weakness of a country who has every means to deal with a bunch of terrorists but has no one to make any decisions.

What does such a plan tell Hamas? It doesn’t take much to imagine.

We set up a barrier, we invested in equipment to expose tunnels – all that instead of simply letting Hamas know: If you start it, we will end it – quickly and with force you have yet to encounter.