Israeli media touched on developments in the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, with former Israeli security and military officials confirming that the fighting taking place is due to partisan reasons, as the Israeli army’s performance has gone from “absolute victory to absolute failure.”
Israeli Channel 12 quoted the former head of the Mossad’s intelligence division, Amnon Sovrin, as saying that he “does not see any situation in which they can liberate the prisoners in Gaza, as the military pressure they always talk about has come to an end.”
Suffrin asked, “What’s left? To cross from Rafah to Sinai. This is not an option. We stayed at the end of the road, and we were unable to return any of them to their homes.”
In turn, former Israeli Internal Security Minister Omer Barlev said, “The war ended 3 months ago, and in the last three or four months there has been fighting for partisan reasons only.”
Bar-Lev confirmed to Israeli Channel 13 that “unless the war and fighting in the south (Gaza) stops, the kidnapped (captives) will not return, and the residents will not return to the north.”
For his part, Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter blamed the army for focusing on Gaza instead of the north, and said in this regard, “We are fighting a war in the south, and a difficult war of attrition in the north.”
He added to Israeli Channel 14, “There is no problem for the army to fight fiercely in Gaza, and fiercely in Lebanon,” but he added, “The army decided that it would focus its efforts in Gaza, and end operations there, before devoting itself to Hezbollah.”
In turn, Israeli journalist Natan Zahavi mocked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his pledge to restore security to the settlements in the north, just as he pledged to the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip.
On Israeli Channel 13, Zahavi said, “We have moved from talking about absolute victory to talking about absolute failure. Millions of residents of the State of Israel are depressed, thousands are leaving the country and buying real estate in Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal, and an economic catastrophe is approaching.”
He continued, explaining, “Business owners and farmers are screaming for help, and the cries of despair of members of the families of the kidnapped (prisoners) fall on deaf ears.” He continued, “Many of the people of Israel are not demonstrating, and the verse in the Israeli anthem (Our hope is not lost yet) is no longer realistic.”