“Hamas is winning this war,” says former top Israeli official

A former top Israeli general revealed that Israel has failed to achieve its military objectives in the Gaza Strip, stating that despite suffering significant losses, “Hamas is winning this war.”

Ex-Israeli commander in Gaza, Major General Gadi Shamni, told the New York Times that Israeli tactics are not yielding concrete results toward eliminating Hamas from the enclave, which is a core goal of the Netanyahu government.

He emphasised that Israel is losing the war against Hamas "in a big way."

While Israel has considerably weakened Hamas' combat resources, the Palestinian group continues to hold ground, often reemerging just 15 minutes after the Israeli army retreats from battle zones, Shamni said.

According to the New York Times, Israeli security officials endorsed the former commander's remarks on the progress of occupation forces in Gaza.

“We are losing the war, we are losing deterrence, we are losing the hostages,” an Israeli security official, who requested anonymity, told the New York Times.

Other former Israeli government officials echoed similar sentiments, stating that Israel finds itself in a dilemma in Gaza, having failed to meet its war objectives.

Another Israeli official questioned why, despite Israel's strategic interest in the Philadelphi Corridor, a critical security area, the offensive had waited eight months to take it.

A senior officer also warned the Israeli government against engaging in prolonged military conflict with Lebanon, warning it could become difficult to disengage from it.

The overall Palestinian death toll since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza has reached at least 41,252 with more than 95,497 wounded. Thousands more remain trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.