Chief of Staff claims four decades of calm with Syria have ended

Israel’s Chief of the General Staff has said that four decades of “calm” with Syria on the occupied Golan Heights “have ended”. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper claims that General Benny Gantz made his remark in a private meeting recently.

“Israel is working on protecting the borders and establishing advanced barriers, but there is a likelihood that we will get attacked from the air,” warned Gantz.

Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon explained that Israel is facing several security threats, including rockets and rocket-propelled grenades, aggression and attacks by cyber pirates. He insisted that Israel will not give in to rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. Ya’alon added that if Hezbollah attacks from the north, Israel will hold the Lebanese government responsible “and the Lebanese people will pay the price.”