CrossFireArabia
Israel’s top army general has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of withholding decisions on the war in Gaza, as new reports indicate thousands of Israeli soldiers have abandoned combat service since the genocidal assault on the enclave began, according to Israeli media.
According to the Anadolu news agency, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Monday that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told the Knesset’s intelligence subcommittee last week that Netanyahu had not provided clear instructions on the army’s next steps in Gaza, the report said.
“The prime minister doesn’t tell us what comes next, so we don’t know what to prepare for,” the newspaper quoted Zamir as saying.
He added that if the government intends to impose a military administration in Gaza, “they should state it openly.”
GHF Criticized
Zamir also criticized the US-backed aid distribution scheme run by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, calling it a “failure.”
Despite the expansion of distribution centers from four to 12, Zamir questioned why Israel was enlarging a program that “did not work in the first place.”
“I don’t understand why they are spending money on it and increasing the number of aid centers to 12, if it failed when there were four,” he is quoted by Haaretz as saying.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli attacks on aid seekers at distribution sites have killed more than 2,400 Palestinians and wounded over 18,000.
Morale Crisis
Meanwhile, Haaretz reported that the army is facing an unprecedented morale crisis, with thousands of conscripts leaving frontline units since October 2023. Many were reassigned to non-combat duties or discharged altogether, with officers admitting the scale of withdrawals is without precedent, Anadolu cited the paper as reporting.
Testimonies collected by Haaretz described deep psychological scars among troops, including post-traumatic stress and what military counselors call “moral injuries”- trauma from actions that conflict with personal values. Soldiers spoke of accidental killings of children, snipers ordered to fire on civilians near aid convoys, and repeated suicide attempts in combat brigades.
While the army’s spokesperson has withheld official figures, senior officers told Haaretz the problem is “out of control.”
The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday that the Hostages and Missing Families Forum have demanded a meeting with Zamir over “the threat” that the operation in Gaza City poses to the captives held in the enclave.
20,000 Wounded Soldiers
On Monday, Haaretz reported that around 20,000 soldiers injured in the Gaza onslaught “are being treated by the Defense Ministry Rehabilitation Division, with 55 percent – roughly 10,700 – struggling with mental health issues.”
Citing the Defense Ministry, the paper said” 20 percent of those with mental health issues were also physically wounded, while 45 percent of the veterans registered with the division are dealing with physical injuries only.”
By 2028, the division estimates it will treat “100,000 injured veterans, including 50,000 with mental health injuries.”
Ongoing Genocide
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 64,900 Palestinians, with more than 164,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court as reported in the Palestine Chronicle.
