'The bitter truth' is that 'Israel' is close to 'strategic defeat,' says former Israeli lawmaker

In its war on Gaza, “Israel” is one step away from “strategic defeat” in the fight against its “weakest enemy”, Hamas, while the government continues to sell lies to the public about a “victory”. absolute,” writes an Israeli newspaper. Maariv concluded Friday.

In his article, Haim Ramon, a former Knesset member who served for more than 30 years, said that the Israeli War Cabinet and General Staff “misled the public” since the start of the war, but that it is now time to “reveal the bitter truth”. ” while members of the war cabinet blame each other for the “strategic defeat” of the war.

Read more: 62% of Israelis do not believe in “absolute victory” over Hamas

Ramon said that despite the significant losses and damage inflicted on the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, it is “clear to everyone that the war objectives have not been achieved.”

He recalled what Tzachi Hanegbi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser, said earlier this week, where he admitted that none of the war's “strategic objectives had been achieved.”

“No conditions for the hostage agreement, we have no [eliminate] Hamas, and we did not allow the inhabitants of [Gaza envelope] return home safe and sound,” Hanegbi then lists.

Read more: “Israel” has fought 10 times since October 7

The author also pointed out that the war cabinet and army leadership have “no operational plans on how to achieve these goals in the near future.”

“Despite the damage to its power, Hamas still stands. In every area of ​​the Gaza Strip from which the IDF has withdrawn, Hamas has managed to re-establish its army. [presence],” he added.

“Most of those abducted are still in the Gaza Strip and the argument that military pressure would lead to their release has proven false. Tens of thousands of Israelis are afraid to return to their homes in the south of the country. [occupied Palestine] and the north [due to Hezbollah’s operations]and Israel's situation on the international scene [arena] has deteriorated further.”

“On the brink of strategic defeat”

The article highlights that the Israeli occupation army withdrew from Jabalia in northern Gaza after claiming to have taken control of the town. “But during the second raid on Jabalia, [Israeli] The armed forces were surprised by the number of Hamas fighters remaining and the extent of firepower they still possessed.

He noted that after this series of incursions, the Israeli occupation army would withdraw, while reports claimed that the Resistance battalion in Jabalia “has been defeated…and we will be surprised again by the battalion strength on our return.” to Jabalia next time.”

Read more: Gaza Resistance attacks IOF in Jabalia and intensifies operations. in Rafah

The Resistance in Gaza has increased its rocket attacks against Israeli settlements in recent weeks, after months of rare, if any, fire. The rockets targeted not only the envelope settlements but also Tel Aviv. However, what was significant about these operations was that the rockets were launched from areas from which Israeli forces withdrew after claiming to dismantle the Resistance battalions, or from areas where Israeli forces occupation still operated, particularly in northern Gaza.

“Of [settlers] “From a political point of view, Hamas has almost complete control over the Gaza Strip,” Ramon said.

“The War Cabinet and General Staff have failed miserably in achieving the goals of the war, and we are now on the brink of strategic defeat. Although the failure of the war is already clear to everyone , the Israeli army continued its attack strategy which failed and then withdrew and made no attempt” to occupy areas in Gaza, he explained.

Read more: Hamas says it will not continue negotiations amid Israeli war on Gaza

Accumulating “mega-failures”

The author criticized media and military commentators who, he said, continue to slander the occupying army and members of the war cabinet affiliated with it, while “hiding from the public the truth about the failure of the army which, during eight months of fighting, failed to subdue the weakest enemy of the State of Israel [Resistance in Gaza]”.

Ramon mocked statements suggesting that the “limited operation” in Rafah would be the “deciding point of the war,” as claimed by Netanyahu and senior Israeli military officials.

“From the list of failures above, it appears that Israel is suffering an unprecedented strategic defeat,” he said. Meanwhile, “top political and military leaders continue to feed public opinion with illusions as if the limited operation in Rafah would be the decisive point of the war.”

Even if the occupying army “inflicted heavy losses” on the four Al-Qassam battalions in the city, “how will this change the general state of the war?” If thousands of martyred resistance fighters did not lead to the defeat of Hamas, then a thousand more will achieve this goal?

“After the War Cabinet and Chief of Staff have made every possible mistake in this war, they are determined to continue to make more,” he said.

Read more: “Israel” commits horrific massacre in so-called Rafah safe zone

“The refusal of the members of the War Cabinet and the Chief of Staff to admit that the mega-failure of the strategic defeat of the war was added to the mega-failure of October 7”, leads them to “sell to the public [the illusion] that we are one step away from “absolute victory” while we are one step away from strategic defeat. »

Senior US and Israeli officials had previously ruled out an occupation of Gaza as part of “morning after” plans due to its political and legal price, enormous operating costs, in addition to insufficient manpower. Israeli military work and vehicles to maintain control of Gaza. while also managing the front with Hezbollah in the north – which specialists and analysts say has become a far greater threat to post-war plans than the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the creation of a multinational force, notably composed of Arab countries, to send to Gaza was considered an unfeasible plan.

However, ultimately, Ramon suggested that either the Israeli army would bring back the captives, “the living and the dead”, or “we occupy the entire Gaza Strip with broad international legitimacy and we can achieve the main objective of the war : the overthrow of Hamas' rule and the destruction of its military capacity. »

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