Retired Major General Wassef Erekat, a military and strategic expert, has provided a critical analysis of the Israeli occupation army's actions in Gaza. He asserts that the focus of the Israeli military has shifted from strategic military planning to committing atrocities within the Gaza Strip. Erekat highlights that the current operations are reminiscent of the violent tactics employed by Zionist gangs during the 1948 conflict, labeling the Israeli forces as genocidal and engaged in ethnic cleansing. He emphasizes that the soldiers involved are not confronting a traditional army but are driven by a culture of hatred, as evidenced by incendiary Israeli media that glorifies violence against civilians, including children.
In discussing the recent withdrawal of Israeli forces from Khan Yunis after a prolonged military operation, Erekat argues that this retreat is not indicative of a successful military strategy but rather a consequence of prior failures and significant losses. He notes that the Israeli army has a history of retreating from Khan Yunis under pressure, citing previous operations in December 2023 and July 2024 that ended unsuccessfully. Erekat concludes that the current leadership of the Israeli army is influenced heavily by the General Security Service (Shabak), which relies on intelligence gathered under duress from Palestinian detainees. He criticizes the moral and ethical decay within the Israeli military, suggesting a profound lack of human values and effective intelligence capabilities.
