Maariv: The successes of the Israeli army are talking about in Gaza are unrealistic

Israeli Army Reserve Major General Itzhak Brik strongly criticized the performance of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, accusing it of misleading the Israeli public by disseminating misleading information with the aim of creating a false image of the IDF’s strength and victories, when the reality on the ground is completely different.

In a new article published in Ma’ariv, Brik, who has held several senior positions in the Israeli military, asserted that the successes the Israeli military touts in the Gaza Strip don’t match the harsh reality on the ground.

Brik believes that the Army Spokesperson’s Unit has, over the years, become a propaganda tool aimed at enhancing the army’s image.

Successes are fabricated and failures are concealed, leading to misleading public opinion and creating excessive confidence in the army’s capabilities.

This confidence isn’t based on reality and could have serious consequences, as occurred in the October 7, 2023, disaster.

Brik pointed out that this “culture of lying” didn’t arise in a vacuum, but rather enjoys direct support from the highest military leadership, including the Chief of Staff.

He stressed that the army’s statements about destroying the capabilities of the Qassam Brigades—Hamas’ military wing—and killing thousands of its members don’t align with reports from soldiers and officers on the ground, who assert that they have barely encountered Hamas fighters and that the enemy continues to fight through tunnels and ambushes, employing guerrilla tactics without engaging in direct confrontation.

Brik, who previously served as commander of the Armored Corps, deputy commander of the Ground Forces, and commander of military colleges, explained that Hamas’s strength hasn’t collapsed, but has recovered, and still has 40,000 fighters stationed in hundreds of kilometers of tunnels.

Brik also criticized journalists and military analysts who uncritically repeat the army spokesman’s narrative, viewing them as accomplices in misleading the Israeli public, as they convey inaccurate information and legitimize the continuation of the war in Gaza without any real benefit.

Brik argues that the army is refusing to acknowledge its failure to achieve its primary objectives: destroying Hamas and freeing all prisoners.

Instead, it continues to deceive the public into believing that “continuous pressure will achieve these objectives,” when in fact, most of the tunnels remain under Hamas control, and none of the prisoners may survive.

Brik warned that this style of leadership, which ignores reality in favor of showmanship, is leading the army and the state toward strategic disaster.

He called for a complete restructuring of the Military Spokesperson’s Unit, based on “honesty, ethics, and the values ​​of the Israeli army”.

He also called for a cessation of hostilities through an agreement that guarantees the release of prisoners and the beginning of a comprehensive reconstruction of the army, economy, and society.

The Israeli general has repeatedly criticized the government and army leadership for failing to achieve the war’s objectives, attributing this to the army’s current lack of readiness to achieve victories in wars on multiple fronts, even on the Gaza front alone.