Watan-As an indication of the magnitude of losses incurred by the Israeli occupation army, it immediately requested the enlistment of 7,000 soldiers amidst a continuous war for the fifth month in Gaza.
The newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” stated that the occupation army is in a state of shock and demands the immediate enlistment of 7,500 officers and soldiers to reinforce its forces.
It added that the manpower crisis in the Israeli army is significantly worsening amid the uproar caused by the Defense Minister’s statement regarding enlistment. The occupation army clarified that for the sake of security, there is a need for a very large number of soldiers in addition to those scheduled for enlistment in upcoming courses.
The statement by the Defense Minister caused turmoil within the Israeli political system after he stated that he would not present a conscription law without the approval of all coalition components.
While the army is gathering data illustrating the severity of the manpower problem, it is noted that this issue is unrelated to political rivalries.
A report by the American newspaper “The Wall Street Journal” documented the failure of the Israeli occupation army to achieve its brutal war objectives in the Gaza Strip.
The report quoted Israeli soldiers as saying that the occupation army has not found a systematic solution to locating the tunnels of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip. The soldiers added that removing fighters of the Palestinian resistance from the tunnels remains the biggest challenge for the occupation army.
Difficulty in Eliminating Hamas
Israeli soldiers affirmed to the newspaper that achieving the declared Israeli goal of “destroying Hamas” would be extremely difficult, expressing concern that the accumulation of what they described as “tactical victories” might not lead to a permanent triumph in Gaza.
The soldiers added that victory over the Hamas movement would only come by eliminating the tunnel network, which seems impossible.
Questions from Israeli Soldiers
The “Wall Street Journal” quoted an Israeli soldier working in Khan Yunis as saying that many soldiers are questioning the purpose of their efforts in the absence of a clear plan, especially since the Israeli government lacks a precise post-war plan for Gaza.
Israeli military personnel stated that Hamas attempts to kill Israeli forces by setting up deceptive traps in buildings throughout Gaza.
The military personnel explained that Hamas’ combat tactics include using various tools ranging from rocket shells to recorded sounds of detainees seeking help to lure Israeli forces into traps.
The newspaper reported that groups of Hamas fighters carried out coordinated attacks, with one group attempting to halt an advancing Israeli unit, while another group attacked from the flank to inflict human losses, then disappeared into the destroyed buildings or the maze of tunnels.
Israeli leaders and analysts confirmed to the newspaper that Hamas learned lessons during the humanitarian ceasefire in November and turned to hit-and-run attacks by small groups of two or three men, and sometimes just one individual.