Yedioth Ahronot: 3 to 4 Thousand Missiles Will Fall on ’Israel’ Daily in the Coming War

Local Editor

A military affairs commentator at the "Israeli" Newspaper Yedioth Ahronot, Alex Fishman, expects between 3000 and 4000 rockets daily, with 150 rockets per hour, to fall on the occupied territories during the next war with Lebanon.

He recalls that this number was launched at "Israel" during the July 2006 war in over 33 days and during the war in Gaza within 15 days.

"This time, the rockets will be more accurate, lethal and with a longer range. It will cover all areas of "Israel"," Fishman says. "The first salvo of rockets will be launched from fixed, hidden platforms directed at specified targets in "Israel". Only days later, when the air force begins effectively destroying targets, the quantity and quality of the rockets will decrease."

According to Fishman, "This is not a fictional horror scenario; it is a professional analysis that was dubbed ‘the most dangerous and realistic scenario' by the security establishment. In April 2016, several weeks after taking office, War Minister Avigdor Lieberman reviewed this scenario before the government. It was the first time since 2007 that the government presented a scenario prepared by the security establishment and focused on the internal front."

In this context, Fishman explains that, "the government has approved the presented scenario."

"But this shows that government ministers are not very familiar with the threats facing the internal front. The ministers are obliged to provide solutions and logical answers to it with decisions issued by the government," Fishman said.

Fishman points out that "in more than a year and a half, the security cabinet of "Israel" has not held any sessions to examine the preparedness of the internal front for war."

"Until now, our officials have not understood that the edge of the front and the internal front will come under similar amounts of fire. The weakness of the internal front will affect their morale and the ability to maintain logistical continuity for the benefit of the front," he continues.

According to Fishman, "the Political-Security Cabinet in recent days held three continuous meetings to discuss the "Israeli" policies related to facing the threats on the northern front. Estimates of the situation talk about the expansion of the Lebanese front into Syria, and the Iranian presence in Syria seeks to establish a rigorous and accurate missile front from the Mediterranean Sea to the south of the Golan Heights, whose range of missiles covers all of "Israel"."

"In the event of war, the "Israeli" army will deploy the Iron Dome system around strategic facilities to intercept short-range missiles, especially at airports, gas fields and chemical plants and oil refineries, at the expense of protecting populated areas," Fishman said.

He explains, "One of the solutions is the evacuation of residents. The government gave up the principle of non-evacuation of settlements and decided to prepare for mass evacuation of areas of high risk. A plan, code-named ‘Safe Distance' was developed to evacuate 80,000 people: 50,000 from the north and 30,000 from the south, as the emergency authority and the Ministry of Interior prepare to evacuate as many as 300,000 people."

Fishman points out that "Lieberman has announced that 30% of the population does not have access to fortifications. A large portion of the unarmed population lives in the north. They do not have shelters, fortified rooms or any other means. The most dangerous scenario is the number of casualties on a scale not seen before, thousands of wounded who will need treatment."

Source: Yediot Ahronot, Translated by website team