Earlier on Wednesday, an Israeli raid on al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City killed three Palestinians, including Al Mayadeen contributing writer and martyr Ayman Al-Rafati. 

His most recent piece was published this morning, titled "What did the Israeli 'army' lose in Al-Aqsa Flood?", translated below. 

"Israel's" genocidal war on #Gaza kills yet another intellectual.

Palestinian writer Ayman Al-Rafati was among the three killed by an Israeli airstrike on al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City.

Al-Rafati was a contributor to #AlMayadeen where his articles were published, the most recent… pic.twitter.com/5gSXoTboGo

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 14, 2024

What did the Israeli 'army' lose in Al-Aqsa Flood?

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the aftermath of the war on the Gaza Strip created colossal changes within the occupation "state" and its "army", which has not been able to repolish its reputation till today, following the crushing defeat it experienced on October 7, and has not been able to achieve the political establishment's war goals despite constant reiterations of its capabilities since the start of the war.

The losses suffered by the Israeli Army are multilayered and multilevelled, whether tactical or strategic, internally or externally, as "Israel" has not maintained the same morale it glorified, and could no longer impose actual regional change amid its failure to achieve any accomplishment in the battlefield. The "army" now encompasses deficits in components that allow its self-perseverance and coherence that would have allowed it to engage in future combat.

Throughout the current war, the Israeli "army" lost a great deal of its power, which it prided itself on under the banner of being an unbeatable force, and that of being the most powerful army in the region that could easily defeat all surrounding enemy armies within hours. This was reflected in its strategic positioning during this war, which rendered this military force incapable of achieving any strategic victory and raised questions about its ability to confront regional factions. 

The Israeli Army can also no longer protect the occupation and its economic and security sphere in the shadow of its recurrent military incompetence, particularly the incompetence that was seen during glorious October and its aftermath, as it finds itself convicted of distrust in its essence and military capabilities, despite it being the most technologically advanced force the region has seen. The concept of boundless and progressive power was therefore seen as futile in an asymmetric war and against an expanding and burgeoning regional Resistance. 

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Ideologues acknowledge the diffidence and self-doubt the Israeli military is drowning in as a result of the Flood that is the Resistance's operation, which has shown it and many of the globe's nations that in the absence of profound American and Western support, be it political, military, or logistical, then the absolute impotence of the Israeli occupation forces would be clearly projected, and its rapid and alarming disintegration would be transparent for everyone to see. 

Many Israeli military leaders have now developed a sense of personal insecurity and have been doubting their future in Gaza post-war. Despite the vigorous fighting in Gaza, they internalized the belief that they would be tried, prosecuted, and fired for their internal failure, and would not be able to partake in the political realm after the end of their duty, much alike former military leaders. Externally, they would be international fugitives wanted for the crime of ethnic cleansing. 

The Israeli "army" has also seen major losses in military personnel, reaching the tens of thousands of soldiers who either fell casualty or were declared mentally unfit, and this extends to all ranks, but specifically officers, not to mention Israeli losses in heavy equipment, almost 1,500 tanks, including the world-renowned Merkava tanks. Therefore, it's safe to say that the IOF has lost its military aptitude in Gaza.

On the other hand, the Israeli settler society has also developed levels of distrust in the military's competence and ability to protect. After the IOF boasted its ability to defy and confront its enemies, and its possession of a sophisticated protection and security program that includes the Iron Dome and David's Sling, their collective inefficiency was exposed. So, when the reality of the military's incompetence was revealed on October 7, Israeli settlers grew fearful of a similar future scenario on both the northern or southern fronts.

This, intertwined with the extended duration of the war on Gaza as it enters its fifth month and the Israeli "army's" inability to achieve a decisive defeat and accomplish its listed goals, have hit levels of confidence in the IOF, which exhibited a decrease from 75% to 61% over a mere two weeks, and the levels continued to decrease as the war extended.

The ramifications of this doubt in the IOF's abilities will dangerously unfold in the future. Settlers will begin contemplating alternative places of residence as economic stability and national security cannot be guaranteed under the presence of an inept and floundering "army" that could not even bring back war captives, in addition to the predicaments surrounding drafting services that will re-emerge after the war's blaze dies down. 

On the international horizon, the occupation forces have exposed their own immorality and have been globally recognized as a criminal unethical army that resonates with Nazism, one that is carrying out the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza, and is being tried at the International Court of Justice for its crimes against humanity. The occupation thereby possesses the simplest description to portray its essence: "A people that have been subjected to genocide, genociding another people".

Now, the global populace regards it adversely, and "Israel's" propaganda machine, the Hasbara, will not be able to recover its reputation anytime soon. 

One main challenge the Israeli forces will be facing in the future, viewing its military conduct, reckless viciousness, and unprecedented magnitude of crimes, is the birth of an entire generation that vehemently opposes its very existence and prepares to mercilessly destroy it. And it might just be that, through its crimes, "Israel" has ignited a fire and unraveled coals still burning beneath the ashes, and plainly proved to everyone that it is an entity that cannot coexist with the rest of the world. It is here that the occupation failed in its ability to marginalize Arab and Palestinian factions from the future war. 

The Israeli military's predicament following the war on Gaza will be extremely difficult, and will witness heavy and serious accusations. Contrary to the internal support the IOF receives, seen in the support the occupation government and opposition grant it, accusations will rain down on it like wildfire, and it will try to defend itself by blaming the political establishment, which will not let it be until it makes matters worse for the Army.