New «Israeli» Military Chief Pledges to Lead «Lethal» Army

Local Editor

The “Israeli” entity’s new military chief took office Tuesday, pledging to lead a “lethal, efficient and innovative army” into the future as it faces challenges along its borders.

Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi’s inauguration comes shortly after the military’s announcement that it has successfully completed its operation to destroy a network of what it claims are cross-border tunnels by Hezbollah, stretching from Lebanon into the entity, and as it appears to be dropping its ambiguity over hundreds of strikes it had carried out against Iranian forces in Syria in recent years.

Kochavi was promoted from major general at Tuesday’s ceremony at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, becoming the country’s 22^nd military chief. He replaces Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, who is retiring after 40 years of service. Israel’s army chiefs usually serve up to four years.

“I pledge to dedicate all my energy to a demanding and critical approach to strengthening our defenses and adjusting it to the challenges of the present and future by focusing on increasing our striking abilities against our enemies and putting forth a lethal, efficient and innovative army that maintains its purpose and uniqueness,” he said.

At the Tel Aviv ceremony, "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent Iran from establishing a military foothold in post-war Syria, on the entity’s doorstep.

“I heard yesterday the spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry saying: ‘Iran has no military presence in Syria, we [are] only advising.’ Well, I advise them to get out of there fast since we will continue our aggressive policy there as we have promised and we are doing, relentlessly and without fear,” he said.

The 54-year-old Kochavi previously served as commander of military intelligence, chief of northern command and most recently as Eisenkot’s deputy chief of staff. He also commanded the Gaza division during the entity’s 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. As a commander of the paratroopers’ brigade in the early 2000s, he was credited with developing a tactic of using hammers to break down walls between homes in Palestinian refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, to rob snipers of vantage points from where they could shoot at “Israeli” troops on the streets.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team