Former Israeli Justice Minister Chaim Ramon stated to the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv today that "the war ended in a strategic defeat for Israel," adding that "the war did not achieve its objectives," and called for the Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, to resign. In this context, analyst Dani Neumann from Israeli Channel 14 considered that "the reality of evacuating 100,000 Israelis from their homes for half a year indicates that Nasrallah has won the first battle of the war."
These comments come amid a state of anticipation within the Israeli administration at the governmental, military, and security levels, awaiting Iran's response to the targeting of the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
Israeli media reported that U.S. Central Command Chief General Michael Kurilla arrived in "Israel" this morning, amid preparations by the Israeli army and security institution for an Iranian retaliation. The "Times of Israel" mentioned that the United States believes a significant Iranian attack on "Israel" is imminent and could occur in the coming days, according to a report published by Bloomberg.
Regarding the "resounding failure" of the Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu since October 7, Israeli media discussed its failure to "eliminate Hamas" and recover its captives from Gaza. The Yediot Ahronot website stated that "even the assassination of the sons and grandchildren of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh yesterday in the Beach Camp will not change the overall picture," adding: "More than six months of war in Gaza, and Israel's resounding failure, which began on October 7, intensifies with each passing day."
The site noted that "this time it is no longer possible to blame the army or the Shin Bet," clarifying that "the problem is that military achievements on the ground do not translate into strategic political successes, primarily due to political considerations aimed mainly at preserving the safety of the Israeli government, and less so the State of Israel."
