January 2, 2011 JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Iran has missiles that can reach Israel in 12 minutes, according to cables released by WikiLeaks.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi told a U.S. Congressional delegation in November 2009 that the Islamic Republic has over 300 missiles that can reach the Jewish state in up to 12 minutes, according to the cables released on Sunday.
He also reportedly told the lawmakers, led by Ike Skelton (D-Mo.),that he was preparing Israel's military for a major war against Hamas, saying that "I'm preparing the Israeli army for a major war, since it is easier to scale down to a smaller operation than to do the opposite."
Ashkenazi told the delegation that the threat from Hamas and Hezbollah is more acute than the Iranian threat, due to their proximity to Israel. Iran funds both Hamas and Hezbollah. He predicted that the next big war for Israel would be either in Gaza or Lebanon.
He also said that Hezbollah has over 40,000 rockets capable of reaching all of Israel, and that Hamas could hit Tel Aviv.
