‘We lost the war,’ says Former Mossad Deputy about ongoing Gaza conflict
Former Mossad Deputy Director Ram Ben Barak warns Israel is losing the Gaza conflict, citing military setbacks, economic strain and deteriorating international relations
Former Mossad Deputy Director Ram Ben Barak has issued a stark assessment of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, declaring it futile and asserting that Israel is on the losing end while its economy suffers.
Ben Barak, who served as Deputy Head of the Israeli Foreign Intelligence Service Mossad between 2009 and 2011 and later as Chairman of the Israeli Parliament’s Security and Foreign Affairs Committee from 2021 to 2022, recently made statements to Israeli state radio.
He highlighted the Israeli military’s necessity to revisit previously fought areas, leading to further setbacks.
Ben Barak pointed out the daily announcements from Palestinian groups regarding Israeli casualties and the destruction of military assets, underscoring Israel’s challenges in containing the situation.
“This is a war without a goal and we are clearly losing it,” he said.
He also lamented the deteriorating relations with the U.S. and the international backlash against Israel, which he attributed to the perceived failure in the Gaza conflict and the burden it placed on the Israeli economy.
“We are also losing on the international stage. Our relations with the U.S. are seriously deteriorating. We lost the Gaza war and the Israeli economy is collapsing,” Barak stated.
The remarks come amid reports from Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, claiming significant casualties inflicted on Israeli forces. According to the group’s spokesman, Abu Ubaydah, their attacks have targeted various military vehicles, including tanks and personnel carriers.
It was announced that 15 Israeli soldiers were killed in attacks east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.
The toll of the conflict on the Palestinian side has been devastating, with thousands of casualties reported since Oct.7.
The figures include a significant number of children and women among the dead and injured, amplifying the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
At least 35,386 Palestinians, including 15,103 children and 9,849 women, have been killed and 79,366 people have been injured in Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Source: AA
