TEHRAN - Israeli officials are spilling the beans on their army’s failed strategy in the Gaza Strip in the wake of the implementation of a ceasefire with Hamas.

A former general has emerged as the most recent individual who has admitted that the Israeli army finished up with the wooden spoon after failing to defeat Hamas in the course of the 15-month war against Gaza.  

Retired Major General Itzhak has debunked claims about undermining Hamas' combat capabilities, describing such assertions as mere "pipe dreams". 

“Today, the army is small after being downsized for 20 years, so it is incapable of defeating Hamas or Hezbollah. All the celebrations, as if we have won and destroyed them, are nonsense,” he told the Israeli media. 

The former general acknowledged Israel had to agree to the ceasefire out of desperation. 

He noted that if the agreement with Hamas had not been signed, it would have led to a futile war and resulted in the death of all Israeli captives in Gaza.

More than 800 Israeli troops have been killed since Hamas launched the Al-Aqsa Storm. It was a surprise military operation carried out by the resistance movement in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

More than 1,100 people were killed in the operation and about 250 others were taken captive. Dozens of the captives still remain in Gaza. 

Shortly after the Hamas attack, Israel went to war with the resistance group. But the regime did not succeed in meeting its military objectives which mainly included “destroying” Hamas and returning all captives. 

Ultimately, Israel signed a ceasefire with Hamas which went into force on January 19.

The truce agreement will be executed in three phases, with the expectation that this process will lead to the eventual release of all Israeli captives and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. 

Further in his remarks, Itzhak warned Israel against violating the ceasefire deal.

He said hundreds of Israeli soldiers would be either killed or injured if Israel decided to do so and resume combat. 

The former general added such a "foolish move" would deepen Israel’s international isolation. 

In an implicit reference to growing frustration over Netanyahu’s war policy and regular protests in Israel for the return of captives, Itzhak said the Israeli society stands on the brink of civil war. 

Previously, senior Israeli officials had warned Netanyahu against the consequences of prolonging the Gaza war. 

Yair Lapid is among Israeli officials who have characterized Netanyahu’s war ambitions in Gaza as “a failure”. 

Israel’s inability to achieve its military goals has also led to high-profile resignations. 

Israel’s military chief of staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, announced on Tuesday that he has decided to step down citing his role in failing to prevent the Al-Aqsa Storm. 

In a letter to war minister Israel Katz, he said the resignation would go into effect on March 6.

He is the most senior Israeli figure to resign since Hamas launched the October 7 offensive. 

Following Halevi’s resignation announcement, opposition figures in the Knesset demanded that Netanyahu also step down over his role in failing to avert the Hamas attack. 

Amid Israel’s military setbacks, Donald Trump who took office for the second term on Monday, had exerted pressure on Netanyahu to sign the ceasefire after his army killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza. 

Trump does not care a whit about high civilian casualties in Gaza. The US president is primarily worried that the continuation of the war on Gaza would jeopardize Israel’s existence.