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IDF general says Israel is part of the battle against ISIS
A top IDF general told reporters yesterday that Israel is part of the effort to tackle ISIS, sharing intelligence with coalition allies.
Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, the head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate and former-Head of Central Command, told foreign reporters that “Iran remains Israel’s greatest enemy, but ISIS is also a danger to us.” Although he stressed that Israel has not yet directly confronted ISIS, which he described as “our enemy,” Alon said “We are part of the coalition against Daesh [ISIS] and we cooperate with our allies, which includes the transfer of intelligence information.”
In December, ISIS head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said that “Israel will pay a heavy price at the hands of our fighters.” Meanwhile, last month the IDF Intelligence Branch presented its annual assessment, which predicted that the greatest risk of conflict on Israel’s borders in 2016 could come from ISIS-affiliated terrorists in Sinai.
The Islamist group Sinai Province, which has pledged allegiance to ISIS, has persistently attacked Egyptian military forces in Sinai since 2013. Although the regime in Cairo has been their primary target, Sinai Province has also made clear that it is committed to attacking Israel. As recently as July, it was responsible for firing three Grad rockets into Israel. Although Sinai Province’s capabilities are limited, the IDF assesses that it poses the most immediate threat to Israel’s borders. The group is thought to have one thousand members and a supply of money and weapons from ISIS.
Meanwhile, another ISIS affiliate called Shuhada Yarmouk is believed to be increasing its activity near Israel’s border with Syria. Although Shuhada Yarmouk is currently locked in fighting with the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front, the 600-strong group is thought to possess tanks, armoured personnel carriers, mortars and other sophisticated weaponry seized from Syrian army troops. The Israeli media reported several weeks ago that the IDF is preparing for a number of possibilities, including an infiltration, rocket fire and an attack using explosive-laden vehicles.