ISRAELI fighter jets have recently conducted a large-scale training operation that simulated an attack on an Iranian nuclear reactor, US media reports claim.
The apparent operation follows months of escalating rhetoric from the Israeli defence establishment and politicians, who insist a military strike against the nascent nuclear capabilities of Iran is on strategists' drawing boards.
Up to 100 advanced Israeli combat jets were reported to have taken part in the drill over Greece and other areas of the eastern Mediterranean.
The exercise was tailored to prepare for long-range strikes and focused on air-to-air refuelling and target assessment, Pentagon officials told The New York Times.
The paper reported that more than 100 Israeli jets staged the manoeuvre. It said the aircraft flew more than 1440km, roughly the distance from Israel to Iran's Natanz nuclear-enrichment facility.
Asked to comment on the report, the military issued a statement saying only that the Israeli air force "regularly trains for various missions in order to confront and meet the challenges posed by the threats facing Israel".
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he preferred that Iran's nuclear ambitions be halted through diplomacy, but he does not rule out military action.
The allegations have surfaced as the Jewish state's powerful military is on the move across Israel; defence chiefs yesterday suggested they would move forces from the Gaza border if a planned six-month truce with Hamas held over the medium term.
Calm continued last night along the Gaza border as Israel and Hamas each vowed to hold their fire to ensure that trust-building measures aimed at diplomatic breakthroughs began to take hold.
Both sides remain deeply sceptical about the tenure of the truce. Israeli officials yesterday warned Hamas that it would suffer a painful blow if pledges made during brokered talks with Egypt - such as a long-term hold on rocket fire and the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit - were not honoured.
"They know this is their last chance," one senior Israeli official told The Weekend Australian. "They are trying to position themselves as the heroes of the day, so they have invested a lot into making this work. There's no question this is a test for them that they don't want to fail."
Meanwhile, on a separate peace track, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday ruled out a discussion with Mr Olmert if both end up attending a conference in Paris in mid-July.
The Syrian President has reiterated his opposition to direct talks with Israel until at least early next year, when US President George W.Bush leaves office.
Syrian and Israeli officials continue to hold indirect talks in Turkey. Both sides claim talks are progressing well.
However, Syria says it will not advance to a direct dialogue without US involvement. The Bush White House has persistently accused Mr Assad's regime of undermining its interests across the Middle East and refuses to engage Damascus.
On a separate front, the family of Lebanese terrorist Sami Kuntar has said it has been told to expect his release from an Israeli prison as early as Sunday. Kuntar has served almost 30 years for the murder of four Israelis in the northern city of Nahariya in 1979.
In an apparently related development, bulldozers were yesterday busy digging in a war cemetery for enemy dead in northern Israel in what appeared to be preparations to trade the bodies of fallen Hezbollah militants in return for information about three captured Israelis.
Ahead of his mooted release, Kuntar has pledged to use his freedom to reveal details about the fate of Israeli airman Roni Arad, who has been missing for 26 years since he was shot down over Lebanon.
Kuntar was in prison at the time of Arad's capture, however he has since been embraced as a cause celebre by militant group Hezbollah, which is believed to know some details.
Israeli officials have notionally agreed to a prisoner swap in return for information about two other missing soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, whose capture on July 12, 2006 sparked the second Lebanon war.
Last night, French President Nicolas Sarkozy signalled support for Israel ahead of a trip to the region, but said it was crucial for peace that it freeze building settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Mr Sarkozy, who arrives in Israel on Sunday, said that France "will always be by Israel's side when its existence and security are at stake".
"Those who call, in a outrageous way, for the destruction of Israel will always find France facing them and blocking their path," he said.
But he said Israel had a role to play in securing peace.
"As I've said it on several occasions, freezing settlements, which are the main obstacle to peace, is crucial."
Additional reporting: AFP
