Israeli Army Deputy Chief: Gaza invasion "a matter of timing"

Friday October 12, 2007 11:19 by John Smith - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group

The Deputy Chief of Staff of The Israeli Military, Moshe Kaplinsky, on Thursday spoke of the likelihood of an imminent invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces, adding that troops would "stay there for a few months."

Israeli Army Deputy Chief of Staff Moshe Kaplinsky

Speaking in an interview with the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Kaplinsky branded a future invasion "a matter of timing," arguing that the Israeli army could not ignore a perceived military strengthening of the Hamas movement and the continued firing of home-made shells from the coastal region.

"We won't be able to keep ignoring Hamas' strengthening in Gaza and the incessant rocket attacks for long…we need systematic treatment," the official stated.

In related news, Israeli officials on Thursday warned that the asserted smuggling of munitions into the Gaza Strip from Egypt is jeopardizing the possibility of next month's peace conference actually being held.

In a message to the U.S. government, the unnamed officials warn that "the smuggling of weapons…poses a real threat to the holding of the Annapolis conference," adding that the Gaza-Egypt border had become a "strategic problem."

The Summit is scheduled for late November,

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