IDF Logistics Commander Maj.-Gen. Mishel Yanko said on Friday that the IDF’s forces are “readier than ever” for the impending ground invasion of Gaza and are continuing to increase that readiness.
He said “the spirit of the combat fighters is so high. We have the best commanders and fighters. They understand the challenges and the significance,” of the war and the invasion.
In addition, he said that the IDF still needs “to be ready for a multi-front fight,” in reference to Hezbollah’s ongoing attacks on Israel in the North.
Yanko vowed that every IDF soldier who goes into Gaza will have a ceramic vest and other critical items for protection. Not all IDF soldiers have these items, but those going into battle sooner would get the needed items earlier than those who might only go into battle later.
“War could take time, we are building significant inventory, including for a long war in Gaza and elsewhere,” he said.Yanko alluded to the fact that the IDF has sufficient armored troop personnel carriers, (APCs) with advanced technological active defense capabilities. This, he hinted, could have an impact on the Gaza invasion.
On the spot training
IDF Medical Commander Brig.-Gen. Prof. Alon Glazberg said that we are responding to every medical request and need.
He expressed concern that his forces have had to take in many IDF personnel without medical backgrounds, give them hyper-fast training, and then toss them into hard medical situations simply because they needed more personnel to keep up with the huge number of injuries.
Glazberg said there have been occasions when 60 career officers and reservists showed up, and only 15 ceramic vests had been supplied to the unit.
Last week, Yanko said that broadly speaking soldiers were getting the weapons, food, equipment, and other supplies they needed.
But rank-and-file soldiers at many locations spoke of missing numerous items and thanked civilians for filling in some of the gaps.
They said disparate IDF units competed to obtain certain items.
Yanko admitted last week that there were temporary holes in the distribution of needed items which is natural when the IDF has suddenly to mobilize around 300,000 additional reservists on zero notice.