Terror groups are now pointing well over a hundred thousand missiles at Israel, a top IDF officer told listeners at the Herzliya Conference, as reported by Israel National News.
Itai Brun, director of research in the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence branch, said that terror groups have more than replenished their supply of missiles in the periods since Israel last took military action against them. Brun noted that, a year and a half after Israel delivered a crushing blow to Hamas in the 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense, there were now hundreds of long-range missiles in Gaza – and that between Hezbollah, Hamas, and the other Gaza terror groups, there were now 170,000 missiles aimed at Israel.
Replenishing its missile supply was also a chief aim Hezbollah after the 2006 Lebanon War, in which Hezbollah attacked Israel with thousands of rockets. The campaign has been very successful, Brun said.
Brun explained to hundreds of listeners at the Conference Monday that though a majority of those rockets were of the shorter-range Kassam variety, things are changing for the worse. “Until now the terror groups had no guidance systems and could only approximate targets, but they are improving their aim, thanks to technology. Iran has been very helpful to them in this regard,” he said.
Regarding Iran, Brun said that so far, the Iranians were keeping to the agreements they had made. But, he warned, make no mistake – Iran is doggedly preparing for a “great war” against Israel.
Brun added that Iran was also working hard to make its mark on Syria, where 80% of the forces fighting the Syrian government forces of Bashar al-Assad had an Islamist agenda. Many of the victories in the revolution, however, have been achieved by secular groups. It is those secular militias which are currently in control of areas of Syria bordering Israel.