7/9/2024–|Last update: 7/9/202406:32 PM (Makkah Time)
Retired Israeli General Yitzhak Brick denied Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims about the importance of the Philadelphi (Salah al-Din) Corridor in the southern Gaza Strip, to prevent the alleged smuggling of weapons through it, recalling his multiple meetings with the Prime Minister in which he himself confirmed his rejection of the presence of the Israeli army there.
In an interview with Maariv’s FM 103, the general, dubbed the Israeli prophet of wrath for predicting an attack by thousands of Palestinian fighters from Gaza on Israel, downplayed the strategic importance of the Philadelphi Corridor in the current war on Gaza, describing Netanyahu’s promotion of its importance as “the biggest trick since the founding of the state, to throw dust in the eyes of the public.”
Brick, who was the commander of the Armored Corps, recalled his many meetings with Netanyahu during the October 7 attack, to confirm that the position the prime minister is now presenting regarding the axis is completely different from his previous position.
“I told the prime minister that there was no way to solve the problem of the tunnels passing under the axis without digging a trench 14 kilometers long and 50 meters deep, and then building a wall… He said to me: ‘Brick, this is not possible.’ Moreover, he said: ‘The Egyptians are not ready, and I do not want to lose them, and I do not want them to end the peace and become a fighting army against us.’”
“I asked what about the Egyptians? He said they deny the existence of tunnels and are not prepared to accept an Israeli presence, even if they get American aid,” he added.
Israeli alternatives
Netanyahu was also quoted as telling him, “We have no solution for the Philadelphi Corridor. Neither on the Gaza side nor on the Egyptian side, because of the digging problems, the Egyptians’ lack of preparation, and the entire public will hear this from us, so we are thinking of digging a trench a few kilometers north of Gaza, not on the Philadelphi Corridor.”
He was also quoted as saying, “The alternative to the Philadelphi Corridor is to build a wall between Rafah and Khan Yunis (southern Gaza Strip).”
General Brick said that he held talks with the leaders on the Philadelphi Corridor, “who confirmed that they do not deal with smuggling above ground because smuggling takes place underground, and even if there is smuggling also through the Rafah crossing, it will only take place through the tunnels.”
“It’s a huge hoax,” he concluded. “Netanyahu has one interest: to control the government and keep it going. He is sentencing the kidnappers to death, and worse still, he has already decided that the regional war of attrition will continue for a long time until our country collapses economically, its international relations deteriorate, and the army itself is damaged.”
Criticism of the Chief of Staff
Brick then criticized IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who he said should have dealt more quickly with threats from Hamas across the separation wall with Israel.
“What happened was his direct mistake,” he said. “Two hours before the war broke out, he did not put the army on alert at dawn to confront Hamas fighters. He hears that they are approaching the fence through sensors, and decides not to do anything. After the war breaks out, the ground and air forces wait eight hours before intervening.”
“It is shameful that the Chief of Staff did not resign and take responsibility for the failure, and continued to lead the failed war, and even appointed people who were a disgrace to him,” he said.