It is not Hamas that is collapsing, but Israel, says retired Israeli general

A former senior officer in the Israel Defence Forces has criticised the ongoing war against the Palestinians in Gaza, arguing that the current strategy is leading Israel towards a potential collapse rather than victory. Retired Major General Yitzhak Brik made his comments in a recent opinion piece published in Haaretz.

According to the retired officer, the war is causing significant harm to the IDF and Israel’s broader stability. He also challenged the idea among Israeli political and military leaders that withdrawing forces from Gaza after a hostage deal with Hamas would signify defeat. Brik described this as a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the situation, arguing that it is being used to justify a continued and ultimately ineffective war effort.

The current strategy, he wrote, including repeated raids on Gaza, has not achieved its goals. He warned that the IDF is growing weaker and that continued operations are exacerbating the situation. “If we continue fighting in Gaza by raiding and re-raiding the same targets, not only won’t we bring Hamas to collapse, but we’ll collapse ourselves.”

The Israeli occupation army has launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a 7 October cross-border incursion led by Hamas. The Israeli offensive has killed nearly 41,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and wounded more than 94,300 others. The onslaught has triggered months of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel, amid fears of a full-blown war between the two countries.

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The retired general also highlighted the strain on Israel’s military, economy and its broader societal impacts. “IDF reservists are already voting through action, with many no longer consenting to be redrafted again and again,” he noted. “The war’s goals — ‘bringing Hamas to collapse’ and ‘freeing all hostages by military pressure’ — have not been achieved.”

Brik argued further that the IDF’s inability to control Gaza fully, including the underground tunnel network used by Hamas, signifies the futility of the current military approach. “The number of tunnels the IDF destroyed amounts to just a few per cent,” he pointed out, emphasising that the IDF’s efforts have been largely ineffective. He proposed that Israel should negotiate a deal for the release of hostages and end military operations in Gaza.

Calling for a complete overhaul of the current political and military leadership, which he described as being complicit in the ongoing failures, Brik stated, “We must stop the war in Gaza, which may very well also bring about a cessation of fighting with Hezbollah, as well as reducing chances for a multifront regional war, for which we are entirely unprepared.”

In conclusion, he said that this approach is the only viable way forward to ensure Israel’s long-term security and stability.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The Israeli blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the enclave in ruins. The apartheid state stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. It denies the allegation.

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