Nournews: At the same time, not only have Hamas and the Resistance Front not weakened, but their position and role in the regional equation have been strengthened more than ever.
“We made a mistake on October 7th, 2023, and I take responsibility for this mistake.” This is a confession publicly expressed by Herzi Halevi, the resigned Chief of Staff of the Israeli army. The confession was more than a personal expression of regret; it indicated a deep crisis in Israel's security and military structures. Israel’s failure to predict and counter Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, for a regime that has long portrayed itself as an intelligence and security power, is considered an unprecedented and irreparable scandal. Investigations by the Israeli army have also confirmed that all security assessments before the war were incorrect and that the military intelligence department failed to detect even the slightest signs of Hamas’s operation.
However, the defeat was not confined to October 7th. During 15 months of war, the structural weaknesses of the Zionist regime were revealed more than ever. When Benjamin Netanyahu started the war, he promised that two main goals would be achieved: the destruction of Hamas and the release of prisoners. But after more than a year, not only is Hamas still standing, but Israel has also failed to free any prisoners without reaching an agreement with Hamas. In the end, Tel Aviv was forced to accept a truce that its political and military officials described as a sign of Israel’s failure and Hamas’s victory.
Netanyahu: The main culprit behind the military and intelligence failure
In Israel’s political and military structure, the prime minister serves as the chief commander of the armed forces, and all military decisions are made under his direct supervision. As the commander of the armed forces, Netanyahu was not only caught off guard by the intelligence failure of October 7th but also completely failed in crisis management. Instead of taking responsibility for this failure, he chose to launch a large-scale war to divert public attention from his own accountability.
But the outcome of this war has been far more costly for Israel than Netanyahu had imagined. The massacre of nearly 50,000 Palestinian civilians—including women, children, and the elderly—in Gaza, along with the total destruction of the region’s infrastructure, failed to achieve his claimed goal: the eradication of Hamas. In contrast, thousands of Israeli soldiers have been killed or wounded, and billions of dollars in economic losses have been inflicted on the Zionist regime. However, Netanyahu still refuses to take responsibility and seeks to prolong the war in an attempt to delay his internal political crisis.
Israel’s failure to achieve its war objectives
Israel launched the war under the assumption that it could quickly eliminate Hamas and regain control of Gaza. However, battlefield realities told a different story. Not only did Hamas manage to resist the Israeli army, but it also took the initiative in certain areas. Israel’s special forces, once regarded as the most powerful operational units in the Middle East, became immobilized in the face of Hamas’s tunnels, asymmetric warfare tactics, and guerrilla attacks. The Israeli army suffered heavy casualties, extensive equipment attrition, and a decline in troop morale.
Amidst the war, Israel failed to achieve its fundamental goal of securing the release of prisoners. The captives, who were supposed to be freed in the early weeks of the war, remain in captivity, and military operations to retrieve them have proven fruitless. In the end, Netanyahu was forced to accept a truce without fulfilling his promises. This acknowledgment of failure not only weakened his position within Israel but also significantly diminished the regime’s deterrence power.
Hamas: From an enemy to a negotiation partner
Perhaps the clearest sign of Israel’s failure in this war is the shift in Hamas’s position within the regional equation. When the war began, Netanyahu declared that Israel would never negotiate with Hamas and that the war’s objective was the complete elimination of the group from regional affairs. However, today, not only has Hamas not been destroyed, but it has also become a key party in negotiations with Israel. Tel Aviv, which once refused any direct talks with Hamas, is now forced to directly consider the group’s proposals for a truce and prisoner exchange.
This development demonstrates that Israel has, more than ever, effectively recognized Hamas. The group's 15-month resistance has transformed it from an isolated actor under siege into a powerful player in negotiations. This is precisely what Israel sought to prevent, yet it has now become a reality.
A fruitless war, a historical failure
The war Netanyahu launched to escape responsibility for the October 7th intelligence failure has turned into a new nightmare for Israel. The Israeli army, once portrayed as an invincible force in the region through false propaganda, has become mired in a deep quagmire against a resistance group with limited resources. The human and financial costs of this war have placed Israel in one of the most critical periods in its history.
Hamas was not destroyed, the hostages were not freed, the Israeli army suffered significant damage, and Netanyahu now faces an uncertain political future. Herzi Halevi's admission of the October 7th defeat was only the beginning; the consequences of this failure will continue to haunt Israel. The humiliating scale of the world's fourth most powerful army’s failure against the Resistance Front, along with its economic, political, military, and social costs, will become increasingly evident over time.
NOURNEWS