Yedioth Ahronoth: Israel approves plan to increase production of Merkava tanks and armored personnel carriers
The Israeli government approved a plan on Wednesday to increase production of Merkava tanks and armored personnel carriers by more than $1.5 billion, coinciding with its plan to occupy and control the Gaza Strip.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that Defense Minister Israel Katz had previously presented a plan to increase production of Merkava tanks and Namer and Eitan armored personnel carriers, at a cost exceeding 5 billion new Israeli shekels ($1.470 billion).
The Israeli newspaper explained that the purpose of the Defense Minister’s request is to expand and accelerate the production of armored combat vehicles, including dozens of tanks and armored personnel carriers.
This comes as Katz approved Tuesday evening the plan to occupy and attack Gaza City in Operation Gideon 2, followed by the start of calling up 60,000 reserve soldiers.
The Israeli military operation aims to preparing the conditions for ending the war with the release of all abductees, the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of its senior leaders, the disarmament of Gaza, securing the security zone to protect population settlements, and maintaining the army’s freedom of action in Gaza.
The plan’s approval coincides with international efforts to reach a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in Gaza, and with Hamas’s approval of a new proposal submitted by mediators that includes a 60-day cessation of military operations and a path to a comprehensive agreement to end the war.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday that “Israel’s policy hasn’t changed… It demands the release of all fifty kidnapped soldiers in accordance with the principles set by the Security Cabinet to end the war”.
On August 8, the Israeli government approved a plan proposed by Netanyahu to gradually reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip, starting with Gaza City.
The plan begins with occupying Gaza City by displacing approximately one million Palestinians to the south, then encircling the city and carrying out incursions into residential areas.
