Israeli military achieved no goals in Gaza, Hamas in control

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
6 Jan 2024 12:20
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Israeli media outlets have reported on the Israeli commands' failure to achieve any strategic goals in the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli occupation soldier screams while running through smoke during a training drill in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, on January 4, 2024. (AP)

The Israeli occupation's military did not achieve any strategic goal in its war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported on Saturday.

The Israeli occupation forces launched the war on Gaza with the following objectives: "to destroy Hamas' capabilities, disarm it, achieve security control of the Gaza Strip, establish a civilian institution similar to the Palestinian Authority model in Area B, and secure the contributions from moderate Arab states to rebuild the Gaza Strip," according to Haaretz.

In this context, the Israeli newspaper said the military command was unable to achieve the first goal of disarming and destroying Hamas' military capabilities, adding that the Palestinian Resistance movement is still the dominant force in the Strip.

Earlier on Friday, a report by The Times of Israel revealed that a dispute between top Israeli officials erupted after the topic of an Israeli military-launched probe into security shortcomings on October 7. Likud party officials criticized the occupation's Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, for deciding to include an ex-security minister Shaul Mofaz in the probe, as well as the probe's timing.

Mofaz was a key decision-maker during the period leading up to the Israeli occupation's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. The disagreement brought to light longstanding tensions between the Israeli military establishment and Netanyahu's coalition over Israeli policies toward Gaza and Palestinians, The Times of Israel reported.

Public discord has also been detected within the war cabinet and the expanded cabinet, especially on the Israeli plan for "the day after" the war on the Gaza Strip. This issue has sparked significant tensions between key figures in the Israeli government Israeli KAN political affairs correspondent Mikhail Shemesh said on Thursday.

The focal point of contention revolves around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Benny Gantz after the latter announced a plan to the media before discussions were completed in the war and expanded cabinets. According to an official within the war cabinet, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the presentation released to the media by Gantz was merely a proposal, which was presented as an agreed plan to the public.

Increasing discord with elite Israeli circles coincides with a mounting death toll among Israeli occupation soldiers being killed in the Gaza Strip and the northern front, as well as an unsatisfied public, demanding the retrieval of captives held by the Palestinian Resistance, an event which is yet to occur.