Israel is currently dealing with multiple challenges on its borders and the northern front is the most volatile among them, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi said Wednesday as he unveiled the military's multiyear force-building plan.
In a press briefing, Kochavi stressed that neither Israel nor its enemies are interested in war, but said that the IDF has "increased its pace of preparations" for a potential escalation in the northern sector, where Israel borders Syria and Lebanon.
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The sector is constantly on edge over Iran's meddling: it is trying to entrench itself militarily in Syria, where Iranian forces are largely responsible for the survival of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime; and in Lebanon, its chief regional proxy, Hezbollah, has become a political force that controls parliament.
"On both the northern and southern fronts, the situation is tense and fragile, and could deteriorate into a confrontation," Kochavi said.
Tensions with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip continue to pose a threat to Israel. The two have fought three wars, in 2008, 2012 and 2014. Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists have fired over 1,500 rockets and mortar shells at Israel since the beginning of the year, with Egypt serving as the primary force trying to mediate a ceasefire deal that would prevent these flare-ups from sparking another war.
Still, Kochavi said that the key strategic challenge Israel faces at this time lies along the northern border, where Iran continues to consolidate its forces in an effort to create a Shiite axis.
"In both cases, this is an Iranian-led effort, using the territory of countries with very limited governments," Kochavi said, referring to Syria and Lebanon.
"Hezbollah has been holding Lebanon hostage for years and has effectively established its own army there," he said, adding that the Shiite terrorist group "actually determines the security policy" of Beirut.
Offering details about the military's new multiyear work plan, "Momentum," which will come into force on Jan. 1, 2020, Kochavi said it will focus on improving the IDF's defensive and offensive capabilities.
Under the plan, there will be "a change in the formulation of the operational concept of victory of the IDF," he said, explaining it will also include new doctrines and methods of warfare which have been adapted to the challenges the troops now face vis-à-vis the enemy's advanced urban warfare tactics.
The military will further focus on closing operational gaps in several key areas, including weapons, intelligence-gathering, and manpower, as well as on improving the offensive capabilities of all corps.
As such, the military will procure a significant amount of precision-guided missiles and mid-sized drones as well as additional air defense batteries, Kochavi said.
The IDF will also continue streamlining its digital platforms, with the aim of linking its operations on the ground, in the air and at sea. This seeks to improve the military's effectiveness by sharing information, knowledge, and capabilities.
Kochavi noted that Momentum will pick up where the previous multiyear plan, "Gideon," left off with respect to increasing the troops' training and improving their overall battle readiness.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS.
