\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMilitarily, Hamas is barely functioning, but on the civilian level, they still control everything. The IDF should have taken control and used that to install alternative leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n
Major General (res.) Yiftah Ron-Tal, former commander of the IDF ground forces, warned on Thursday that Israel is nearing catastrophe as it remains entrenched in the Gaza Strip after nearly two years of war, while criticizing the government for failing to provide a clear strategy as the humanitarian crisis<\/a> spirals out of control.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are on the brink of disaster. It\u2019s our fate,\u201d Maj.-Gen. (res.) Ron-Tal told Ron Kupman and Aryeh Eldad during an interview on 103FM. \u201cWe lost control over the humanitarian issue. There is plenty of food in the Gaza Strip<\/a>, but almost all of it goes to Hamas.\u201d<\/p>\n He emphasized that Israel\u2019s inability to manage the civilian situation is undermining its military gains.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot wage war in a territory you occupy without establishing an entity to handle humanitarian and civilian affairs. That failure is now hurting us,\u201d he said. \u201cMilitarily, Hamas is barely functioning, but on the civilian level, they still control everything. The IDF should have taken control and used that to install alternative leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n Ron-Tal called on the government to clearly define its objectives<\/a> and to avoid indecision.<\/p>\n \u201cThe war cannot last forever,\u201d he said. \u201cI have strong criticism of the government. It must decide where we are heading, especially given that a partial deal may no longer be possible.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked by Eldad about the military\u2019s withdrawal of forces from parts of Gaza, Ron-Tal acknowledged growing amounts of operational exhaustion.<\/p>\n \u201cOur reserve forces are very worn out,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe army is static. It completed its goals in Operation Gideon\u2019s Chariots and is now awaiting political decisions. Hamas must not remain in Gaza once the war ends. It is neither a partner nor a neighbor, and it has no place near us.\u201d<\/p>\n Asserting that Israel must maintain its military hold, Ron-Tal urged for formal control and a new defense line within the Strip.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re on the front lines and hold much of the Gaza Strip,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must establish a defensive line and annex the area operationally and administratively. It can be held with relatively few forces unless we choose to act like we do in southern Lebanon<\/a> – striking whenever infrastructure poses a threat. What\u2019s the alternative? Retreat?\u201d<\/p>\n Addressing growing international pressure, Ron-Tal dismissed the threat of diplomatic backlash.<\/p>\n \u201cIs our political situation terrible?\u201d he asked. \u201cThose who would support Palestinian statehood at the UN have already done so. The real problem is internal. The ones fueling the tension are right here.\u201d<\/p>\n Ron-Tal concluded by criticizing the reluctance to impose martial law in the Strip.<\/p>\n \u201cOpposition to military rule stems from an unwillingness to be seen as occupiers or rulers of Gaza,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we forget: it\u2019s not an army that has a country; it\u2019s a country that has an army. This idea of distribution came from the Americans – look what that\u2019s led to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWar goals remain unclear<\/h3>\n
Ron-Tal urges territorial control<\/h3>\n
Political pressure from within<\/h3>\n
Rejects military rule out of fear of occupation<\/h3>\n