The Israeli military concluded that its recent months-long operation in Gaza was a failure, noting that battlefield conditions continue to favor Hamas.
The IDF report was obtained by Israel’s Channel 12. “Israel made every possible mistake, waging a war contrary to its own doctrine of warfare.” It adds that Hamas had “every condition to survive and win.”
Two main objectives of the months-long operation, dubbed Gideon’s Chariots, were to release the remaining Israeli hostages and defeat Hamas. Hamas continues to hold 50 Israelis and fight against the IDF occupation.
Gideon’s Chariots ran from mid-May through early-August.
The IDF determined that one of the main factors contributing to the failure was the lack of effective humanitarian aid for the Palestinians. The widespread starvation created global backlash and an increase in support for Palestinians.
During Gideon’s Chariots, the only aid agency that was allowed to distribute food in the Strip was the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The GHF sites are located far from population centers, and over two thousand Palestinians have been killed at or while traveling to distribution points.
The GHF does not deliver enough food to feed the population of Gaza, and the most vulnerable cannot travel to the aid distribution sites. The Israeli policy created famine for hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza.
