ALWAGHT- Over 680 days into the Gaza war, former Israeli military and political officials warned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading the country toward disaster after failing to secure a ceasefire with Hamas.
Former Israeli chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, declaring that Israel has suffered defeat in its prolonged war against Hamas in Gaza. In a statement, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of prioritizing personal and political interests over national security, dragging Israel “into the abyss.” He also urged settlers to join a nationwide strike organized by families of captives to pressure the government into reaching a ceasefire with Hamas, as protests against Netanyahu’s refusal to strike a deal intensify across the occupied territories.
Adding to the criticism, former prime minister Ehud Barak accused Netanyahu of waging a “futile war” to escape corruption trials and internal political crises, including disputes over military exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews. Barak said Netanyahu misled US President Donald Trump into supporting an unwinnable war, arguing that Israel has no path to eliminating Hamas through its current strategy. He denounced Netanyahu as a liar who has lost all sense of direction, warning that his decisions only deepen Israel’s entanglement in Gaza.
The Gaza war, which began in October 2023, has already killed more than 61,800 Palestinians and wounded over 155,000, the majority women and children. Thousands more remain missing under the rubble of destroyed homes, while nearly two million people have been forcibly displaced, most crowding into Rafah in southern Gaza. The conflict, described as the largest Palestinian mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba, continues to escalate amid mounting criticism of Netanyahu’s leadership both at home and abroad.
