Israeli generals update plan to "smash" Palestinians

Thursday July 12, 2001

London: Israeli generals have updated plans for an all-out assault to smash the Palestinian authority, force out leader Yasser Arafat and kill or detain its army, according to a report published Thursday in London.

Foreign Report, published by the influential Jane's information group, says it has seen what it claims to be an executive summary of a proposal presented to the Israeli government Sunday.

The assault would be launched at the government's discretion after the next big suicide bomb attack in Israel that causes widespread deaths and injuries, citing the bloodshed as justification.

According to Foreign Report, the generals envisage a military operation of up to one month.

Estimated Israeli casualties would be measured in the hundreds. Palestinian losses would be in their thousands.

By the end of the operation, the generals believe Arafat would either have left or been forced to leave the West Bank and Gaza Strip. His closest allies would be either dead or also out of the area.

The Palestinian armed forces, estimated at some 40,000, would be disarmed, and either dead or held in detention camps.

The blueprint, with the title "The destruction of the Palestinian Authority and disarmament of all armed forces," was presented by Israeli chief of staff Brigadier-General Shaul Mofaz, Foreign Report said.

A suicide bomb attack would provide the necessary motive for Israeli troops as well as enabling Israeli ambassadors and other officials to tell concerned countries that military action was a justified response.

The journal's sources said the Israeli army's current high command, perhaps reflecting the views of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, wants the military to be given a more assertive role.

The planned operation would certainly do that.

It would begin with heavy air raids by F-16 and F-15 warplanes against all the main Palestinian Authority installations in Gaza and Ramallah.

It might be preceded by a heavy artillery barrage to soften up targets.

Israel would then deploy around 30,000 paratroopers, infantry and armoured brigades, the equivalent of an army.

The Palestinians may not put up much resistance, the proposals say, but if they do, around 300 Israeli soldiers might be killed.

As for international reaction, that would be too little, too late.

The generals say some kind of peace force would probably be sent to protect the Palestinians, but by the time it got there it would be faced with a "fait accompli."

Moreover, Israel's neighbours would be unlikely to retaliate with any great effect, the planners believe.

Quoting forecasts by the military intelligence service, the generals doubt Egypt, Jordan or Syria would want to go to war on behalf of the Palestinians.

Egypt might send troops into Sinai, in response to which Israel would call up its reserves.

Iraq may try to mobilise its forces, but they would be destroyed by Israeli warplanes before they could even reach the Jordanian border.