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Last update - 18:35 17/05/2008
Ex-IAF Chief: Expect thousands of rockets on Israel in future war
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press
Tags: Hamas, Hezbollah, Israel 

The Israel Air Force's outgoing commander-in-chief has said that during a future war Israel's home front is likely to be bombarded with thousands of missiles and rockets in the possession of Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria.

Major General Eliezer Shkedi made the comments in an interview with Israel Radio which was aired Saturday. He also said that the strengthening of Syria and Hezbollah is very worrying.

Hezbollah guerillas fired some 4,000 Katyusha rockets at northern Israel throughout the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
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Shkedi told Israel Radio that during the war, Hezbollah attempted to launch armed drones which the IAF succeeded in downing. The threat of this form of attack still exists, he said, and while its answer is complicated the air force has improved its capability of discovering and identifying unmanned aerial vehicles.

The outgoing commander also noted that there is no complete solution to rocket fire, while adding that great efforts are being made in order to find a way to deal with the problem.

For over seven years, southern Israel has been pounded with rockets launched from the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, one such attack on a shopping mall in Ashkelon wounded around 90 people, four of whom seriously.

Shkedi also stated that Hamas routinely fires at IAF aircraft flying over Gaza and that his forces face a growing risk. The air force routinely carry out missile strikes against militants in Gaza.

So far, there was only a single incident earlier this year in which an IAF helicopter gunship was struck and damaged by Hamas fire.

However, Shkedi said that it is a "risk that is increasing all the time and they [Hamas] are firing at us all the time."

In a separate interview, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter told Israel Radio that Hamas is rapidly arming itself. He said Hamas in Gaza has almost obtained the military capacity of a state, and asserted that Israel must destroy the militant group's arsenal.

Shkedi futher stated that the IAF has significantly improved its methods of targeting Gaza militants in that the number of civilians harmed in such strikes has greatly decreased. For every 24 terrorists killed from the air, he said, only one civilian is killed, as opposed to the ratio four years ago which was of one to one.

The incoming Israel Air Force Chief Major General Ido Nehushtan on Tuesday said that Sixty years after its establishment, the State of Israel is facing threats unlike any before, speaking during his inauguration ceremony at Ramat David Air Force base in the Jezreel Valley.


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      1.   Simple answer for Israel 10:22  |  Clickfool 17/05/08
      2.   RELAXX...BE COOL, BROTHER 10:22  |  indrajaya 17/05/08
      3.   The solution 10:36  |  Bellatrix 17/05/08
      4.   Waiting 10:44  |  Nechama 17/05/08
      5.   Get it on Film 11:11  |  Awake 17/05/08
      6.   Is Israel slowly dying....?as so many believe. 11:26  |  Dolly 17/05/08
      7.   It`s true although no general was needed to say it. 11:35  |  S 17/05/08
      8.   At last, a sober admission .... 11:54  |  Fairplay 17/05/08
      9.   Attack GAZA 12:06  |  Nenkita 17/05/08
      10.   Failure 12:17  |  Imad 17/05/08
      11.   The Hamas Military Build Up...! 12:21  |  Stephen. 17/05/08
      12.   #2 Nechama 12:38  |  Chris Linthwaite 17/05/08
      13.   The new IAF chief`s spot on 12:39  |  tony 17/05/08
      14.   Sooner or later, Israel will have to do something 12:40  |  Joey 17/05/08
      15.   The complete solution=Peace based on the 1967 borders 12:41  |  Aounist 17/05/08
      16.   The new IAF chief`s spot on... 12:42  |  tony benson 17/05/08
      17.   Hello Dolly 13:12  |  dovale 17/05/08
      18.   Stop talking, now, but act! 13:18  |  Christophe 17/05/08
      19.   How would America solve this problem? 13:21  |  Dror 17/05/08
      20.   and why? Because Israel is reluctant to defeat it`s enemies... 13:31  |  Avi 17/05/08
      21.   Curious 13:35  |  Clickfool 17/05/08
      22.   Israelis shouldn`t be surprised by this admission 13:39  |  Chris Linthwaite 17/05/08
      23.   Why doesn`t France attack UK? 13:49  |  Keith T. 17/05/08
      24.   the political angle 13:58  |  Avi 17/05/08
      25.   Chris L: Hizbollah disbanding? You must be daft! 14:04  |  Avi 17/05/08
      26.   Future wars 14:10  |  Dror 17/05/08
      27.   If OLMERT STAYS Israel is done for.... 14:13  |  Dagma 17/05/08
      28.   Egyptian intellectual Al Masiri predicts israel`s demise in the 14:30  |  lakshmi 17/05/08
      29.   #20 Kieth T 14:45  |  Rachel Stevens 17/05/08
      30.   #16 Dror of Haifa 14:51  |  Rachel Stevens 17/05/08
      31.   And the only way to respond to a missile attack 14:54  |  Ian Robertson 17/05/08
      32.   unfortunately he is right...it is been a major concern of many 14:59  |  r 17/05/08
      33.   How many wars have England and France fought? 14:59  |  Dror 17/05/08
      34.   Clickfool is right 15:53  |  Peter 17/05/08
      35.   Dror is correct! 15:54  |  Mike 17/05/08
      36.   #17 You overrate the IDF, Avi. 16:03  |  Johnboy 17/05/08
      37.   #15 Dror asks some ignorant questions 16:25  |  Johnboy 17/05/08
      38.   To 15 - Aounist - Israel and 1967 borders - NEVER! 16:27  |  Dolly 17/05/08
      39.   Israel Has Never Used Full Force 16:31  |  Jane 17/05/08
      40.   Finally some reality 16:31  |  Ron 17/05/08
      41.   no. 1, for Clickfool 16:38  |  Sam C 17/05/08
      42.   To r # 32 - WHY....... 16:46  |  Natasha 17/05/08
      43.   Objective Analysis 16:47  |  Kenneth S Brower 17/05/08
      44.   #21 Clickfool 16:50  |  Cool B 17/05/08
      45.   A reasonable assessment? 16:53  |  Mark Lincoln 17/05/08
      46.   Jew haters unite! 17:01  |  herb glatter 17/05/08
      47.   Best rocket defense is (and always has been) a good offense 17:06  |  Dr. L. Brnd 17/05/08
      48.   Best rocket defense is (and always has been) a good offense 17:06  |  Dr. L. Brnd 17/05/08
      49.   Dovale Israel 17:20  |  John Allen 17/05/08
      50.   Then what... 17:22  |  Baz Mann 17/05/08
      51.   The ball is in Israel`s court 17:28  |  Harold 17/05/08
      52.   Dror. You are on the right path 17:32  |  John Allen 17/05/08
      53.   #23 Keith in the UK 17:40  |  John Allen 17/05/08
      54.   There is no military solution for Israel long term 17:45  |  David 17/05/08
      55.   #23 Keith in the UK. You got me going 17:47  |  John Allen 17/05/08
      56.   To Johnboy # 36 - Is Israel overrated? 17:50  |  The Threadmill 17/05/08
      57.   Conclusion 17:52  |  Shimon Cleopas 17/05/08
      58.   the water and the rock 17:58  |  Moshe ben Shimon 17/05/08
      59.   #30 Rachel. Where do you live? 18:02  |  John Allen 17/05/08
      60.   #19 Dror 18:02  |  Scott G 17/05/08
      61.   #28 Lakshimmmy 18:05  |  John Allen 17/05/08
      62.   Cult of spoiled delussional leftist extremists 18:07  |  Dror 17/05/08
      63.   Johnboy. You really hit home this time 18:16  |  John Allen 17/05/08
      64.   #15 aounist 18:25  |  John Allen 17/05/08
      65.   Review Question 18:31  |  Shimon Cleopas 17/05/08
      66.   Israeli genius 19:23  |  Hansje 17/05/08
      67.   to hansje (israeli genius) 19:49  |  noor 17/05/08
      68.   rocket damascus 19:51  |  frank 17/05/08
      69.   Simple answer to Creepfool 19:58  |  Dan 17/05/08
      70.   Chris Linthwaite, who are those `Hezbanese prisoners` your are re 20:06  |  Dan 17/05/08
      71.   You mean building a WALL on Palestinian territory 20:17  |  Joe