Hamas winning war, Israel losing in ‘big way’: Ex-IDF officials

The former military official said that Hamas takes over towns "15 minutes" after Israeli soldiers withdraw from them.

Israel’s military officers, both former and current, have reportedly expressed concerns that the conflict with Hamas is exacting a heavy toll on the country. They have acknowledged that the prolonged confrontation is costly in terms of lives, and economic strain.

According to major general Gadi Shamni, a former commander of the Israeli military’s Gaza division, Israel, has struggled to contain Hamas since the outbreak of violence on October 7, 2023. Many Israeli hostages continue to be held by Hamas.

In an interview with the New York Times published on Tuesday, September 17, Shamni said Hamas was winning the war, while Israel was losing, “and in a big way”. 

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The former military official said that Hamas takes over towns “15 minutes” after Israeli soldiers withdraw from them.

Speaking on anonymity, a current senior defence official echoed Shamni’s statements. “We are losing the war, we are losing deterrence, we are losing the hostages,” the official told the New York Times.

The official further said that Israel was unable to achieve its war targets and the army was “stuck in Gaza”.

According to ABC, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused by Israeli officials of undermining the indirect negotiations with Hamas.

More than 40,000 Palestinian civilians including over 11,000 children have perished in the military operations conducted by Israel across the Gaza Strip over a span of 11 months, according to health officials.