Eisenkot Slams Netanyahu: Talk of Absolute Defeat’ of Hamas A Tall Tale

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” War cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot appeared to criticize the entity’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s management of the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, suggesting that talk of complete victory was unrealistic and indicated that new elections should be held within months to restore public trust in government following the devastating October 7 operation.

“Whoever speaks of absolute defeat is not speaking the truth,” Eisenkot said in the interview. “That is why we should not tell stories… Today, the situation already in the Gaza Strip is such that the goals of the war have not yet been achieved.”

This comes as “Israeli” leader have vowed to destroy Hamas and governing capabilities in Gaza. “Israel” has also promised to secure the return of its captives in Gaza.

Asked whether Israel’s current leadership is telling the public the truth, Eisenkot responded simply, “No,” and appeared to take a jab at Netanyahu’s refusal so far to take direct responsibility for the October 7 intelligence, military and leadership failures.

Eisenkot said alleged failures in the chain of command “does not absolve [him] of responsibility,” a likely reference to Netanyahu’s previous claims that he was not warned by security chiefs about an impending Hamas operation, and that all security chiefs had consistently assured him that Hamas was deterred.

He also appeared to criticize Netanyahu’s refusal to hold high-level discussions regarding post-war planning in Gaza.

“You have to show leadership in the ability to tell the truth to people, the ability to chart a path,” he said, noting that “The goals of the war have not yet been achieved, but the [number of soldiers on the ground] is now more limited… You have to think about what’s next.”

Eisenkot also said elections should be held in the coming months to renew the public’s trust in leadership.

Pressed to respond to Netanyahu’s claim that elections in the middle of the war would harm public unity, Eisenkot responded, “The lack of trust from the ‘Israeli’ public in his government is no less serious.”

Eisenkot said that on October 11, “Israel” was on the verge of striking Hezbollah but he and Gantz managed to convince officials in the war cabinet to hold off.

“I think our presence there prevented Israel from making a grave strategic mistake,” Eisenkot said.

“We would have immediately brought the entire axis in Syria, Iraq, Iran, with [the war with] Hamas, which caused us the greatest damage since the establishment of the ‘state’, would have become a secondary arena,” he said.