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Protection Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday accused Iran of funding Palestinian Islamic Jihad to the tune of tens of tens of millions of {dollars} a yr, every week after Israel fought a three-day battle with the phobia group within the Gaza Strip.
PIJ launched 1,175 rockets and mortars at Israel between Friday and Sunday. In keeping with the Israel Protection Forces, some 200 rockets of them fell brief contained in the Gaza Strip. In a number of instances, failed rocket launches killed Palestinian civilians.
“Whereas the world watched ‘one other escalation between Israel and Gaza,’ I ended to emphasise: The Iranian ayatollahs are concerned on this entrance. Islamic Jihad in Gaza is a violent Iranian proxy,” Gantz mentioned, as he hosted his Cypriot counterpart on the IDF’s headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“Their management visits Iran and meets Iranian leaders steadily. Islamic Jihad has an open tab in Iran,” he mentioned.
All through the spherical of combating, the PIJ’s secretary common, Ziad Nakhaleh, was in Iran for conferences with the phobia group’s most important backers.
In the course of the battle, Gantz and army chief Aviv Kohavi threatened to behave in opposition to the phobia group’s management who’re situated overseas.
Protection Minister Benny Gantz (proper) and his Cypriot counterpart, Charalambos Petrides, meet on the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, August 11, 2022. (Ariel Hermoni/Protection Ministry)
“Iran supplies Islamic Jihad in Gaza with tens of tens of millions of {dollars} per yr,” Gantz mentioned Thursday.
“Iran, by way of the IRGC, transfers know-how and makes an attempt to smuggle supplies to Gaza, that are then used to construct weapons geared toward civilians,” he mentioned.
“Whereas quiet within the space was restored, we can’t relaxation. On the operational degree — the State of Israel will preserve its freedom of motion in all arenas,” he continued.
“As I’ve mentioned up to now, our eyes and targets give attention to anybody who threatens the safety of our residents, from Khan Younis to Tehran,” Gantz mentioned.
“On the strategic degree, Israel will proceed to work with our companions in going through Iranian aggression, which harms safety and stability in every single place, from the Israel-Gaza border, to the Mediterranean Sea, to the Gulf and past,” he mentioned.
Thanking the Cypriot protection minister, Charalambos Petrides, for his nation’s army cooperation with Israel, Gantz mentioned, “In such difficult instances, partnerships are essential.”
Gantz mentioned he was “happy that our institutions have been working intently, and that our industrial cooperation has grow to be a pillar not solely of our bilateral relations, but additionally to regional safety and stability.”
He added, “We additionally worth the trilateral framework with Greece. It’s an asset to the pressure build-up of the person nations, in addition to to wider regional safety.”
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