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War cabinet member Eisenkot in secret letter: Gaza war not going well

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
20 Feb 2024 00:17
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Israeli media have revealed that the letter sent to cabinet members warns that the war on Gaza is failing to fully achieve its objectives.

Israeli war cabinet member and former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot during a cabinet meeting in 2021 (AFP)

Israeli media revealed on Monday a strongly-worded letter sent by Israeli war cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot to the cabinet, warning that the war on Gaza is stalling and that "Israel" is falling short of reaching its objectives.

Channel 12 said that the letter had remained secret for more than a week.

According to an Israeli affairs commentator on Channel 12, Eisenkot penned a "detailed and rigorous" analysis of the war on Gaza, titled "Lack of Decisive Decisions in the War."

Yaron Avraham reported that the former Israeli chief of staff cautioned about the "increasing difficulty in achieving the objectives of the war" and noted that its strategic plan "has faltered".

Eisenkot saw in his letter that this threatens "the strategic Israeli posture," confirming the failure to attain the two primary Israeli goals of ending the war while "ensuring no future threat from Gaza, and enhancing the sense security of Israeli settlers."

Avraham stated that Eisenkot mentioned that "no decisive decisions have been made for 3 months, as strategic decisions were [only] made at the beginning of the war," suggesting that "Israel has been stagnant since then."

The cabinet member also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his assertions of achieving "complete victory", suggesting that his statements are for "publicity purposes".

Channel 12 described Eisenkot's letter as "a harsh indictment against Netanyahu, and, to a large extent, against the Cabinet," highlighting his discomfort within the Cabinet.

The Israeli channel emphasized that Eisenkot's remarks were "not made by television commentators but by a minister in the war Cabinet, which is the most important forum for decision-making in Israel."

This disclosure comes amid escalating disputes within the Israeli war cabinet. Eisenkot and cabinet member Benny Gantz recently threatened to dissolve the cabinet over Netanyahu's unilateral decisions on "important matters", such as Israeli captives in Gaza "without consulting them."

It also coincides with "Israel" facing mounting challenges in the Strip, as it acknowledges the difficulty of "eradicating" Hamas and other Resistance groups.

This has led to a growing recognition of the necessity for a political resolution to facilitate the release of Israelis held by the Resistance, as their continued captivity has intensified internal pressures on the government.