Ex-IOF general describes ops situation in Gaza as 'Sisyphus complex'
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The former chief of the army's operations department blasts the IOF's conduct in Gaza, saying there was "no one major victory and there is still no military decisiveness."
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Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli raid on Rafah in southern Gaza on June 29, 2024. (AFP)
Israeli army officials have underlined their dissatisfaction with the military operations in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that the Palestinian Resistance movement, Hamas, can regain its power.
Giora Eiland, a retired major general, told Israel’s Channel 13, “Something is frustrating in all these operations. This is like a Sisyphus complex that pushes a rock to the top of the mountain and then it rolls back down," emphasizing that Hamas had the "ability to rise again."
Eiland detailed how after Israeli occupation forces (IOF) withdraw from a neighborhood, "they (Hamas’ fighters) resume their activity in that area anew."
Another retired commander, Israel Ziv, the former chief of the army's operations department, blasted the IOF's conduct in Gaza, saying there was "no one major victory and there is still no military decisiveness."
Ziv told Israeli Channel 12 that "Israel" is at a stalemate in Gaza. At the same time, there is a big escalation in the North that might lead to war, he added, warning that Hezbollah's rockets and projectiles constitute a serious threat to the occupied territories.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza reported that the al-Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, bears testament to the contradiction of the Israeli narrative, confirming ongoing activities by the al-Quds Brigades and al-Qassam Brigades to lure soldiers into ambushes there.
On Saturday, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that the Palestinian Resistance continues to carry out deadly ambushes targeting the occupation forces in the alleys of the al-Shujaiya neighborhood, where a major battle is taking place.
Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, announced that its fighters targeted with mortar shells the command center of the Israeli occupation's field operations in the al-Shujaiya, as well as groupings of Israeli troops and positions of military vehicles in the area.
The Brigades, who have been highly active in Gaza City following renewed Israeli incursion into multiple neighborhoods, also directly engaged occupation forces for the third straight day, ambushing them on several axes.
Israeli forces spox says Hamas can't be destroyed, Netanyahu responds
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari an Israeli military spokesperson, stated recently the goal of "eradicating Hamas" is unattainable.
IOF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari described the objective of destroying the Palestinian Resistance movement of Hamas as impossible, prompting a rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Hamas is an idea. Those who think it can be made to disappear are wrong,” Hagari told Israeli Channel 13, adding that anyone offering this solution is "misleading the public."
He added that if there was no alternative found by the Israeli government, Hamas would remain in Gaza.
In response, Netanyahu's office released a statement citing that one of the war goals was the "destruction of Hamas's military and governance capabilities," adding that the Israeli occupation forces are "committed" to that goal.
Hagari confirmed that the army will not be able to retrieve all the captives in the Gaza Strip through military operations, according to Israeli Channel 12.
This echoes the remarks of Amos Harel, a military affairs analyst for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, who argued that "Israel is not close to total victory," adding that the retrieval of a large number of captives in the Gaza Strip "will only be possible through a deal that requires significant concessions."
