Amid the ongoing war against Hamas, Israel appears to be facing a historical defeat despite the fierce fighting in Gaza and the significant damage inflicted on Hamas's military infrastructure, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv. It added that despite these efforts, the war's objectives have not been achieved.
The newspaper stated that at this time, the war cabinet and the General Staff continue to "mislead the public by issuing vague statements and half-truths." Maariv explained that since the beginning of the ground operation, the Israeli government identified four main objectives for the campaign: destroying Hamas's military capability, eliminating the terrorist threat to Israel, protecting the country's borders and its citizens, and achieving these goals.
However, after eight months of war, none of these goals have been achieved. The head of the National Assembly, Tzachi Hanegbi, acknowledged this in the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, saying, "We have not achieved any of the strategic objectives of the war."
According to the newspaper, despite the substantial damage inflicted on Hamas, it remains capable of re-establishing its military control in every area from which the Israeli army withdraws, and it has succeeded in reorganizing and regaining strength in both northern and southern Gaza. The Israeli army also admitted that the operation in Jabalia did not dismantle the military capability of Hamas's Jabalia Brigade and the Northern Brigade, as Israeli forces were surprised by the number of Hamas fighters who remained in the area and the scale of fire they were able to unleash.
In this context, the war cabinet and the General Staff continue to execute failed strategies, as forces are withdrawn after seizing areas, allowing Hamas to reorganize and fortify its positions again.
Despite these failures, Israeli media and military commentators continue to "distort the facts and mislead the public," according to Maariv. It is clear that the current strategy has not achieved any tangible progress toward the war's objectives. Despite the deaths of thousands of Hamas members, the group remains capable of conducting attacks and firing rockets at Israel, reflecting the failure of the current military strategy.
In light of these failures, the Chief of Staff and all generals responsible for the mismanagement of the war should resign immediately. The government must return to the people to regain their trust and clarify the failures and how to rectify them in the future.
Finally, the newspaper stated that Israel must now take radical steps, either by reaching a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in exchange for the return of all hostages or by deciding to fully occupy the Gaza Strip and establish a temporary military government there in cooperation with the international community, noting that "this would achieve the strategic objectives of the war and ensure Israel’s security in the future."
