Hamas is winning war in Gaza, says former top Israeli general

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli Major General Gadi Shamni said they are losing the war on Gaza while Hamas is winning.

In an interview with the New York Times published on Tuesday, Shamni, a former commander of the Israeli military’s Gaza division, said Hamas was winning the war, while Israel was losing, “and in a big way”.

He said the military capabilities of Hamas have undeniably been reduced, but the group still maintains control over Gaza, adding Hamas members have been retaking towns across Gaza “15 minutes” after Israeli troops withdrew from them.

According to the NYT, Shamni’s view is shared by some current and former Israeli security officials who don’t see Hamas’ defeat as a possibility.

A senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, separately told ABC News on Tuesday: “We are losing the war, we are losing deterrence, we are losing the hostages.”

The official also warned against launching an offensive on Lebanon, saying war there “is easy to start, but very hard to end”.

Other unnamed military officials told the American broadcaster that Israel was “stuck” in Gaza and unable to achieve its war objectives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused by Israeli officials of torpedoing the indirect negotiations with Hamas, according to ABC. His insistence on maintaining control over parts of the Gaza Strip, including the border with Egypt known as the Philadelphi Corridor, has been the main stumbling block in the talks.

“If Philadelphi was so important, why did we wait eight months [into the war] to take it?” an unnamed senior Israeli official said.