Former Israeli minister says occupation failed in Gaza
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Former Israeli Vice Prime Minister Hayim Ramon addresses the failures of the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, saying it is as if they had not been fighting for the past 15 months.
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Israeli soldiers carry the flag-draped casket of 1st Sgt. Yuval Shoham, who was killed in a battle in the Gaza Strip, during his burial at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in occupied al-Quds, on Monday, December 30, 2024. (AP)
Former Israeli minister Haim Ramon criticized the Israeli occupation forces' performance in Gaza, describing the war as a "strategic failure" in an op-ed published in Maariv. Ramon highlighted the inability of the Israeli military to achieve its primary objective: The overthrow of Hamas and the dismantling of its military capabilities.
He noted that despite heavy blows to Hamas, including the deaths of its leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, along with thousands of fighters, the movement's military and administrative structures remain intact. "Hamas' military force is still operational, and its governance extends across Gaza," Ramon wrote.
The former minister emphasized that Hamas retains control over areas outside the presence of Israeli forces, maintains significant military strength, and continues to hold over 100 Israeli settlers captive. Additionally, Ramon pointed out Hamas' sustained capacity to launch rockets into the occupied Palestinian territories, stating, "Even this week, rockets continued to fall from Gaza as if we hadn’t been engaged in combat there for 15 months."
Ramon attributed the failure to flawed strategic planning and the inability of the Israeli political and military leadership to adapt and implement an alternative strategy. "The war in Gaza represents a resounding strategic failure," he asserted.
Rockets launched into 'Israel'
The military wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Friday that it successfully collaborated with the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, in launching a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli Apache helicopter east of al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the Martyr Omar al-Qassem Forces, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, declared that they had targeted a grouping of Israeli soldiers at the Civil Administration site east of Jabalia camp in northern Gaza with mortar shells.
A spokesperson for the Israeli occupation forces confirmed that the IOF detected two rockets launched from northern Gaza. According to the statement, one rocket landed near Kibbutz Nir Am, while the other allegedly struck an open area.
Media outlets noted that alarms sounded across Gaza's border areas, marking the eighth consecutive day of rocket fire from the Strip.
