Israeli General: This Is Why the Army Failed to Defeat Hamas

Israeli General Yitzhak Brick has highlighted the reasons behind the Israeli army’s failure to defeat Hamas in Gaza, despite more than 14 months passing since the destructive war began.

In an article published in Maariv, Brick criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated assurances that the war would not end until Hamas was eliminated and Israeli prisoners were freed from Gaza. “Over time, it’s becoming clear that the opposite is happening,” Brick wrote.

He explained, “Israel is moving further away from its ability to eradicate Hamas. Today, Hamas controls the Gaza Strip, with thousands of its fighters operating underground in tunnels stretching hundreds of kilometers.”

Brick claimed that Hamas’s military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, recently recruited approximately 3,000 young fighters aged 18 to 20.

The Tunnel Advantage

He elaborated, “While we are above ground, everything continues to unfold below us in the tunnels, beyond the reach of the Israeli army. Hamas continues to govern Gaza. We’ve returned to Jabalia for the fifth time, and in similar operations across other areas, we’re losing soldiers and facing severe injuries.”

According to Brick, the Israeli military cannot eliminate Hamas because “there isn’t a surplus of forces, and Israeli soldiers do not remain in the territories they occupy for extended periods. This lack of sustained presence is why they cannot dismantle Hamas’s rule.”

Leadership and Tactical Failures

Brick criticized the Israeli army’s repeated raids, which he described as aimless and ineffective in toppling Hamas. “These operations lack any clear objective of defeating Hamas. Instead, Netanyahu uses these clichés as a justification to abandon the hostages dying in Hamas’s tunnels. All of this serves his ultimate goal of prolonging the war to remain in power.”

He added, “Leaving hostages to die in Hamas’s tunnels is a severe violation of the core values upon which generations of fighters and civilians were raised. This negligence is a betrayal. These disgraceful actions by Netanyahu and his allies will lead to catastrophic consequences. Soldiers and citizens, betrayed in their darkest hours, will express reluctance to join the army.”