IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said on Sunday "the international community cannot afford not to intervene" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to bring the conflict to a close, speaking two weeks before the end of his term.

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Clarifying that he is bound by his role as army chief, Gantz also made reference to the recent escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, saying: "We cannot allow a situation in which the northern sector will be active with terrorist activities against us."

Gantz in Herzliya, Sunday morning (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

He was speaking at a conference in memory in memory of former IDF Chief Amnon Lipkin-Shahak at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.

Gantz also discussed tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority: "We are in a sensitive period of elections, and as someone still in uniform, I cannot go into this issue, but it is crucial for us, and I expect they will find the path to move forwards."

The IDF chief warned that the issue will be cast into the spotlight of the international arena, adding that there was "no connection between the conflict with the Palestinians and the internal conflict between Muslims in Syria and Lebanon, but everyone knows the Palestinian issue is the most important problem."

Gantz also referenced the security situation in neighboring countries, saying: "There is a battle between three main camps. In the first camp there is the radical Sunni global Jihad, which includes a competition between the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

"The second camp includes the moderate countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. The third camp is composed of the radical countries – Syria, Iran and Lebanon. We are witnessing an immense conflict between the various forces, which last quite a while. We won't be able to ignore it."

The IDF chief also spoke about the recent developments in the Golan Heights and the Lebanese border: "We are prepared and ready. We dealt with the latest developments throughout the entire weekend, and will continue doing so in the coming days. We cannot allow the northern arena to be active with terrorist activities against us."