Ex-Israeli AF chief: Thousands of missiles may hit Israel population in future war

Outgoing Air Force commander, Maj. Gen. Eliezer Shkedy said in a radio interview Saturday, May 17, that the peril comes from thousands of missile stocked by Syria, Hizballah, Hamas and possibly Iran. Israel has developed new defensive capabilities to reduce their impact.
He revealed that during the 2006 Lebanon War, the Air Force intercepted a pilot-less aircraft in time (to prevent it landing). Hamas’ arsenal compares with that of Hizballah, said the former air force chief. It consists of missiles, rockets and guns of all types, including anti-air weapons. He said Israeli aircraft have not been “critically affected” until now but they are under constant fire. Asked about dealing with the problem, he replied that this was not a military decision.
Shkedy reported that the force had assiduously fine-tuned its air attacks to reduce Palestinian civilian casualties and had succeeded in bringing it down to a ratio of one to every 24 armed men hit.
The ex-commander went on to say: “One cannot shut one’s eyes to Iran… Their rhetoric with regard to Israel is very precise. But there is no issue of significance that has no operational solution. I have invested a lot in this. We treat it with great seriousness.”
Shkedy added that Israel had invested considerable effort in preparing to deal with threats from the “world jihad movement” (al Qaeda) – “on ground and by air.”