The Israel army is minimizing its use of helicopter gunships against Palestinian Authority targets after concluding that aerial attacks have been largely ineffective, while having a negative impact in the battle for public opinion, according to a report published by Haaretz newspaper.
Analysts in the defense ministry said that helicopter attacks were effective only during their first deployment - when firing at targets in Ramallah in retaliation for the lynch of two Israeli soldiers in mid-October.
Subsequent helicopter attacks, particularly the barrage of over 50 missiles fired on Gaza after a school bus was bombed in early November in Gaza, killing two and injuring nine others, did not have any real deterrent effect, according to these analysts.
Since this attack in Gaza two weeks ago, the IDF has refrained from deploying attack helicopters. Even after the bus bombing in Hadera on November 22, Israel did not resume this mode of military retaliation, according to the paper.
A senior defense official told Haaretz that "from the moment that it became clear that the confrontation would continue for a long time, Israel had to free itself from the pattern of 'incidents and responses.'
"When the fighting is continuous, it is no longer a question of immediate response to each attack, but rather a continuum of actions over time."
The source noted that this long-term approach would enable Israel to "take advantage of places where there is a relative advantage in order to hit a Palestinian target, even if this is not done immediately after an attack against us."
According to the official, Israeli military actions should now focus on "successfully attacking those who attack us." – Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
