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Israeli army chief predicts no imminent war with Hamas

Xinhua, February 23, 2017 Adjust font size:

Israel's military Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot told lawmakers on Wednesday that he sees no willingness in Gaza's Hamas to initiate a military action against Israel.

In an address to the parliament's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, Eisenkot said that Israel Defense Forces' top priority for 2017 is the "preparedness for a possible conflict in the Gaza Strip," according to a press release issued by the Committee.

However, he said that he sees "no willingness in Gaza to launch a campaign against us."

According to Eisenkot, the recent appointment of Yahya Sinwar as head of Hamas, the Islamist organization that controls the Gaza Strip, demonstrates that there is no longer a distinct separation between Hamas' military and the political wings.

"The separation of the political and military leadership in Hamas is blurred to the point of being eliminated altogether," Eisenkot said.

Israel's last military campaign in Gaza was concluded in the summer of 2014 after 51 days of bloody fighting that claimed the lives of at least 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Endit