"Israeli" army struggles to assert full authority in Gaza due to troop shortage

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) acknowledged that a shortage of troops is limiting its ability to effectively maintain control over the Gaza Strip, as reported by "Israel's" Walla! news.

The IOF, through a letter submitted to the "Israeli" Supreme Court by the Attorney General’s Office, stated that its current troop levels and military operations make it difficult to establish complete authority in Gaza. This comes over a year after the military launched its extensive operation against Hamas.

Despite the efforts, Hamas has managed to retain some degree of power within the enclave.

The IOF noted concerns that Hamas is allegedly using the influx of humanitarian aid to strengthen its military and economic positions. As a result, the IOF has temporarily halted the import of goods through private merchants and has focused on allowing aid into Gaza through international organizations, aiming to ensure that assistance is not diverted by Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his remarks on the situation, insisted that "Israel" has made significant strides toward weakening Hamas's control.

“We have made tremendous progress in degrading their military capabilities, and our focus is now on targeting their energy infrastructure,” Netanyahu said. “Hamas will no longer have the ability to rule Gaza.”

However, some "Israeli" leaders, particularly from the far-right, have expressed their views that the ongoing aggression could eventually result in economic gains for "Israel". Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in an interview with Ynet, suggested that the IOF would ultimately benefit the nation’s economy in the long term.

In contrast, former IOF chief of staff and current Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot criticized the government's handling of the war, calling the strategy "disorganized" and questioning the Cabinet’s priorities.

He particularly pointed to the failure to return "Israeli" captives and expressed frustration over the lack of a coherent plan to end the war.

"The government's war plan is in disarray," Eisenkot said, pointing out that the issue of returning kidnapped soldiers had been mishandled.

Eisenkot also highlighted that key ministers, including Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have pushed for settlement expansion in Gaza, a goal that contradicts Netanyahu’s stated position of avoiding military rule in the area.

This division within the "Israeli" government, Eisenkot argued, is creating confusion and hindering the overall strategy for post-war governance in Gaza.