Israel Plants Trees to Help Stop Missile Attacks on Civilians
New IDF project uses trees to obscure Gaza targets.
Terrorists fire during Passover holiday.
Gaza terrorists have fired 328 times this year.
The Israeli army has come up with a natural answer to protect civilians from terrorists in Gaza trying to target them with guided missiles: they are planting trees to block the line of sight required for attacks.
Operation “Forest Security” is intended to help prevent attacks like the April 7 guided anti-tank missile that hit a school bus in southern Israel as it was dropping off 50 children. The last passenger to disembark - a 16-year-old boy - died from his wounds following the attack.
Lt. Col. Ilan Dayan, commander of the IDF’s Territorial Defense in the Gaza Division, said anti-tank missiles were “something we considered a threat, however, the attack on the school bus crossed every line.”
The trees will help because a terrorist launching an anti-tank missile requires a “line of sight to the target,” Dayan said. “If he doesn’t have one, he has a serious problem."
The project is expected to cost $2 million (7 million shekels) and began earlier this year. IDF officials, however, said it will take some time before the trees grow high enough to work as planned.
Since January 2011, terrorists in Gaza have launched 328 missiles, rockets and mortars at Israel. Terrorists began stepping up their attacks in April, firing at least 45 of the deadly projectiles in a single day. During 2010, terrorists launched a total of 238 rockets, missiles and mortars at Israel.
Less than a week after terrorist groups in Gaza declared an unofficial ceasefire, terrorists fired two Grad rockets at the Israeli city of Ashdod on April 15. One hit near a residential neighborhood and the city’s alert system sent residents running for cover in bomb shelters. Alerts signaling rocket launches from Gaza into southern Israel allow about 15 seconds for people to seek safety in shelters.
Terrorists have continued the rocket attacks during the Passover holiday, which began Monday night, when a Qassam rocket exploded in the Western Negev. No one was physically hurt.