Israel’s top general on Thursday acknowledged that military and intelligence lapses were in part to blame for the failure to head off the devastating surprise Hamas assault from Gaza on Saturday that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israeli civilians.
In his first public statement since the war began, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff for the Israel Defense Forces, said the country’s military and intelligence services are responsible for the state’s security and its citizens’ safety.
“This past Saturday morning in the area near the Gaza Strip, we did not achieve this,” said Gen. Halevi. “The IDF under my command understands the gravity of the situation and the responsibility on our shoulders.”
“We will learn and analyze what happened, but now is a time of war,” he added. “The massacre by the murderous and animalistic Hamas terrorists of our children, our women [and] our people was barbaric. It was not humane.”
He blamed the Hamas attack squarely at the feet of Yahya Sinwar, the current Palestinian leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“He and the entire system underneath him are ‘dead men walking.’ We will strike them, break them, and dismantle their system,” Gen. Halevi said. “The fighting spirit of the IDF strikes Gaza with full force. We will not stop here. There is decisiveness [and] there is fury.”
He said the IDF airstrikes are systematically destroying the Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, warning that it will take time and require patience from Israeli citizens. Gen. Halevi didn’t say whether a ground invasion was being planned but security analysts in Israel and elsewhere have said it’s likely given the horrific nature of the Hamas attack.
“Gaza will not look the same. We achieve a situation where those who led Gaza will be intensely struck and dismantled,” Gen. Halevi said. “Whoever remains there will understand that such a thing is not to be done to the State of Israel.”
Gen. Halevi said he has witnessed the atrocities committed by Hamas during their assault, saying that the cost of war is “heavy and hard to bear.”
“I saw the horrors [and] I saw the images. I spoke with the commanders and the soldiers who fought on the ground,” he said. “I deeply share the sorrow of the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones.”
Gen. Halevi said the IDF is working to locate some 200 people — Israelis and foreigners — who were abducted by Hamas fighters during the attack and are believed to be detained somewhere in the Gaza enclave.
“We will do everything we can to return the kidnapped victims,” he said. “We will strike a decisive blow to our enemies. That is our mission today and we are determined to achieve it.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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