A report prepared by the American newspaper "New York Times," published today, Saturday, reveals that the Israeli leadership is facing a "strategic impasse." The report cites Israeli leaders stating that the government's two main objectives are "incompatible," referring to the goal of rescuing "hostages" and the goal of eradicating the "Hamas" movement.
The newspaper notes that "after more than 100 days of war (aggression on Gaza), the limited progress made by Israel in dismantling Hamas has raised doubts within the senior military leadership." It explains that it conducted interviews with four senior Israeli military commanders who spoke on the condition of anonymity, indicating that "there is also a struggle between how long Israel will need to completely eliminate Hamas and the pressure exerted by Israel's allies to end the war quickly amid rising civilian casualties."
The generals also anticipate that "the long battle aimed at dismantling Hamas entirely will likely cost the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since October 7." The generals interviewed by the American newspaper emphasized that "their campaign in the Gaza Strip has been hindered by Hamas's infrastructure, which was more developed than Israeli intelligence officers had previously assessed."
The report adds, "Once inside, the highly trained Israeli soldier loses most of the military advantages he possesses above ground... the tunnels are narrow... this means that any fighting turns into close combat at zero range."
