Maariv warns Israel army ‘exhausted’ and nearing breaking point amid political isolation

Israel’s Maariv newspaper has warned of deepening strain within the Israeli military, describing the army as “approaching the point of explosion” under the weight of the Gaza war and growing political isolation.

In an article titled “Are We Moving to Slingshots? The Serious Crisis in the Israeli Occupation Army Is Approaching the Point of Explosion,” military correspondent Avi Ashkenazi argued that the campaign in Gaza “lacks professional leadership” and is being run by “amateurs,” producing “extremely negative results for the state and the army.”

Ashkenazi drew parallels with a remark made by Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, in 1955, when he referred to the United Nations as “tired nations” as Israel’s moves forward with occupying the besieged Gaza Strip. 

He suggested the phrase remains relevant today as Israel faces intensifying diplomatic pressure from European leaders, Australia, and several Arab states over its policies in Gaza.

The article also reviewed the rise of Hamas, tracing its origins in Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp during the First Intifada in 1988 to its development into a formidable resistance force.

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