IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot. Photo: Wikipedia.

In a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the IDF chief of staff said the military is prepared for the possibility of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, even though it is not in Israel’s interest, the Hebrew news site nrg reported on Monday.

Knesset members in attendance told nrg that Lt. Gen Gadi Eizenkot also responded to the controversy surrounding his comments calling for restraint by IDF soldiers in confronting Palestinians. According to these MKs, Eizenkot said that though agrees with the Talmudic saying, “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first,” it should not be the guideline for Israel’s rules of engagement.

“Armed soldiers hold tremendous power in their hands, and I want us to be very precise in the orders we give them,” he said, stressing that to do otherwise would be a betrayal of the IDF’s values and could lead to the army’s destruction.

The chief of staff also discussed IDF operations in Palestinian cities, saying that so long as the PA does not live up to its security responsibilities, the IDF would continue incursions whenever necessary.