1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Joining us now is Israeli military spokesperson Darren Spielman. Darren, 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: good to have you on the program again. Can you 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: please explain to us what's been happening in Israel overnight 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: and this morning. 5 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 2: Good morning, as the picture kind of becomes clear on 6 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 2: our side, Israel's really operating into two modes at the 7 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: same time. The first is we're still trying to deal 8 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: with this tragedy. As time goes on, the tragedy is 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 2: becoming more and more clear. The venom of Kamas when 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 2: they invaded Israel and their will to inflict physical playing 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 2: pain by slaughtering our citizens inside the Israel, inside these 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: peaceful communities, and also the psychological warfare that they're trying 13 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 2: to age. We have lots of instances now where Commas 14 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 2: have taken phones from other people that they've captured hostages, 15 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 2: that they've taken back to Gaza and made phone calls 16 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: to their families with screaming in the background. This is 17 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 2: happening on a numerous basis right now, and it's really 18 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 2: the evil of what was perpetrated against Israel is something 19 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 2: that we're trying to just trying to move forward on. 20 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 2: And on the other hand, it's our military preparations. We 21 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 2: are spread out along the southern border. Our main focus 22 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 2: right now is securing the southern communities, repairing the border fence. 23 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 2: There are very constant attempts at incursions by Hamas terras 24 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 2: into Israel. Just yesterday, eighteen of them were killed throughout 25 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 2: six incidents. You know, they're just coming in waves, carrying 26 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 2: whatever they are, their axes or automatic rifles, and trying 27 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 2: to penetrate into Israeli territory. And so we're repairing the 28 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 2: fence and holding them, preventing the implement during Israel. At 29 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: the same time, we are carrying out our air campaign 30 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: in Gaza, focusing on their centers of terrorism, which are 31 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 2: in the areas of on units offer great knowledge of. 32 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 2: Yesterday we successfully targeted two senior members of Klamas, their 33 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 2: political bureau head and also their Minister of Economy. What 34 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 2: we are really focusing on is trying to neutralize Clemans's 35 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 2: ability to fund their operations and to acquire equipment, and 36 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 2: obviously most importantly, to prevent them from putting into use 37 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 2: to prevent the next massacre God forbid that they want 38 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: to carry out and Israeli territory. 39 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: Okay, how large is now the amassment of troops on 40 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: that southern border with Gaza and what are you preparing 41 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: for there? 42 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 2: We have four divisions spending divisions on the southern border 43 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 2: right now. We have a large amounts of ground troops 44 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 2: we have that have gathered on the border. We have tanks, artillery, 45 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: we have command centers now on the southern border. Theserals 46 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: mobilized in a way that is never mobilized before, the 47 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 2: same way that the attack against US was unprecedented, our 48 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: mobilization is unprecedented. We've got people volunteering. We're at one 49 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty percent of voluntary rates. Every man and 50 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 2: woman that's available right now is volunteered for Israel and 51 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 2: the southern border. As you drive through and you speak 52 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 2: to the soldiers, these are mothers who've left, you know, 53 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: children at home with the grandma's, fathers who've left their work, 54 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 2: young children who are you know, twenty years old, who 55 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: are soldiers. They're serving in the same army with their 56 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: mothers and fathers. Because they realize if this. 57 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: Is as unprecedented as you describe, this build up of troops, 58 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: is it preparing for anything other than a grand invasion? 59 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 2: Look the idea right now. You have to understand we 60 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: were taken by surprise four days ago. The amount of 61 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 2: casualties and carnage is something that's hard to imagine, and 62 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 2: therefore we are preparing for every scenario. We are. You know, 63 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 2: I cautiously say this that we are in strong control 64 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 2: of the southern border, but I can tell you that 65 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 2: we will not be making, you know, the same mistake 66 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 2: that we made four and a half days ago. We 67 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 2: are we realize our enemies will we realize what they 68 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 2: want to do, and therefore every option is on the 69 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 2: table right now. You know, it makes what a very 70 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: difficult situations. You can understand because we have hostages inside 71 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 2: Gaza and there are also millions of Gaza people who 72 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 2: are essentially captives of Hamas as well. Hamas isn't only 73 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: you know, massacring Israelis. They've kind of taken their own 74 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 2: people as captives. So I think the very difficult situation 75 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 2: that's going to take time, and we are preparing for 76 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 2: a long term war. This is a war, not an operation, 77 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 2: and so therefore we are we are mobilized in that fashion. 78 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: What efforts We discussed this when we spoke on Monday. 79 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: But what efforts are you making to protect civilians in Gaza? 80 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: Are you issuing warnings before air strikes? 81 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 2: First of all, I have to say that, you know, 82 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,799 Speaker 2: I wish it's clear Hamas not only has no regard 83 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 2: for Israeli civilians that are trying to kill them. It 84 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 2: would be nice if Hamas, who was acting on behalf, 85 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 2: say they're acting on behalf the Gazan people, we're doing 86 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 2: something to protect their own civilians. They're doing the exact 87 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 2: opposite from us. Our objectives are first and promised to 88 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: protect the Israeli population. You have orphans and parents with 89 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 2: no longer children, and therefore military objectives here are the 90 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: most important thing that we could do. Whenever we can 91 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 2: notify civilians we've sent you know, we've set some messes, 92 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 2: we've dropped certain leaf lifts, we've announced, we've. 93 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: Set How often does that happen? I mean, the air 94 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: strikes have been happening constantly now for four days. How 95 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: of the air strikes that have been carried out so far, 96 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: how many of them are you issuing warnings beforehand? 97 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: Well as you can imagine, I think anyone can imagine 98 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: if this was the citizens of their company and country 99 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 2: that have been watered. The first thing that you'd be 100 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 2: asking is how do we how do we neutralize the 101 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 2: enemy or continually trying to do this to us? It's clear, 102 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 2: I'm sure, both to you and to me, that Hamas 103 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 2: is a savage army on the level of Isis And 104 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 2: the most cynical way like isis they've embedded themselves amidst 105 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 2: the civilian population. And you know, I think the question 106 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 2: is thinking you really be directed towards Hamas? Why are 107 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 2: you killing is innocent as Braili's and why are you 108 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 2: putting the innocent residence of Gaza directly on top of 109 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: your building? You know, this is the savageness of what's 110 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 2: taking place. Here's hard to imaginement that is actually what's 111 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 2: taking place. Our jobob is to is to try to neutralize, 112 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 2: to succeed in neutralize in their military infrastructure. 113 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: But is that at any cost? 114 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 2: Is this that Hamas invaded Israel? Obviously when you talk 115 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 2: about costs, is there any cost on a mother or 116 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 2: child that has been massacred inside of Israel? You know, 117 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 2: I was in Aza yesterday and I walked through Karaza 118 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 2: and I see, you see youngsters that have been killed. 119 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 2: You see baby carriages with blood dripping down the baby carriage. 120 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 2: What is the cost of that? If you can tell 121 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 2: me what the cost is of that, I'm willing to 122 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 2: listen to it. But Coms is massacurring Israelis. Commas is 123 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 2: indirectly massacring their own people by putting them in the 124 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 2: way of fire. 125 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: You've been warning people if to leave Gaza, but roots 126 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: out of the territory are blocked. How can people leave 127 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: if they're so worn to do so. 128 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 2: Gaza is, as you know, has borders booth with Egypt 129 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 2: and with Israel. The Egyptian border is at times open. 130 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 2: What we've been saying to the residence of Gaza is 131 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: to leave the areas that they are in. Wouldn't we 132 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 2: give them warning? And that is different. It means moving 133 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 2: a kilometer or two out of the way. It doesn't 134 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 2: mean moving, you know, to a different country. 135 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,559 Speaker 1: But you just tells us that you haven't been able 136 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: to issue warnings in the case of all of the 137 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: air strikes that you have carried out. So are those 138 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: people being given sufficient in your eyes warning to be 139 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,559 Speaker 1: able to avoid being hit by your military action? 140 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 2: Well, I think that you can probably understand that when 141 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 2: Hamas invaded Israel and plan this attack against you know, 142 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 2: thousands of innocent civilians. They knew that they were putting 143 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 2: their own civilians that they claimed to be acting on 144 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 2: behalf of in risk. They knew that Israel will be responding. 145 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 2: They are also acting underneath schools and underneath buildings, and 146 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 2: they're hiding and they're cowardly. They killed innocent civilians. They 147 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 2: ram back to gods and they hide in tumnels while 148 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 2: their families are sleeping above their heads. It's obvious that 149 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 2: we need to take out those commanders because we can't 150 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 2: let this happen. And so therefore the gods and civilian 151 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 2: population rests solely on the shoulders of Hamas. And I 152 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 2: think that all these questions need to be directed towards them, 153 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 2: not only how did your massacre israelis? How are you 154 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 2: going for an indirect massacre of your own people on 155 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 2: a daily basis? None of this is enough, There's nothing 156 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 2: that none enough has been done anywhere, because human life 157 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 2: is being lost, both Israelis and innocent gossins, and the 158 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 2: klons of the human life is being lost is Hamas. 159 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: Your defense minister has said that he's released all restraints 160 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: on his troops. What does that mean in practice? 161 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 2: I'm not aware of that statement, but what I can 162 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 2: tell you in the IDF is that we have operational goals. 163 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 2: Up till now, we've launched over a last number of years, 164 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 2: operations that were limited in scope. I think it's clear 165 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 2: to anyone who's seen the carnage that took place in 166 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 2: Israel the one thing to not did for us is 167 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 2: they pushed us into a corner and they said they 168 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 2: made us understand that we have absolutely no choice but 169 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 2: to defeat them. 170 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: Are you preparing for a long conflict in that case, 171 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: no question? 172 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 2: And we understand that it's going to be long because 173 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 2: there are civilians there, both on both sides, and you 174 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 2: do what you can to minimize civilian casualties. And one 175 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 2: of the things you do is time and over an 176 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 2: extended period of time. This is a large scale war. 177 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 2: We've never ever mobilized like this to this fashion. And 178 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 2: I will tell you that when we are a number 179 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 2: of the hamas Paris, we found with them enormous applies 180 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 2: that they were it was showing their intention to capture 181 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:19,839 Speaker 2: a whole our territory for an extended period of time. 182 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 2: This was not a terrorist rate. This was the launch 183 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 2: of a war against people who have no conscience, who 184 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 2: are coming not just to try to eliminate the massacre 185 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 2: jobs for three days, but to try to actually capture Regild. 186 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 2: That is what the actual equipment shows. And so we 187 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 2: are at war. And I assume, without knowing the specifics 188 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 2: of the Defense Minister said, that's what he said.