Exhausted “Israeli” soldiers question claims of success in Gaza: Haaretz

In an embedded tour for reporters in the northern Gaza Strip, “Israeli” soldiers have voiced widespread exhaustion and skepticism about their military's reported achievements, while officers were caught staging a firefight for the media, a recent report by Haaretz showed.

During a guided tour of Beit Hanoun, which was described as a "flattened city," soldiers told reporters they are worn out from multiple combat tours.

One soldier declared he would not return to Gaza after his current tour, stating, "People don't understand what attrition is. ... People here are exhausted." Another reservist, a software engineer, said he was fired after his first tour and has struggled to find work since.

A reservist from the Corps of Engineers claimed that less than 10% of the original force from the beginning of the war is still serving, with the rest being "mercenaries."

Soldiers on the ground also questioned the official casualty numbers. Colonel Netanel Shamka, the brigade commander, told reporters his forces had killed 201 "terrorists."

However, a soldier told Haaretz that forces focus on attacking suspects with drones and then attempt to identify the dead, adding that a broad definition may be used to count fighters.

One soldier testified they had not engaged Hamas targets in weeks. Since the start of a recent operation, the combat team has destroyed 657 homes in northern Gaza.

The tour concluded with an apparent staged event. As reporters prepared to film, two officers instructed ground forces to "open fire so that they could hear some shooting in the background of the footage."

Soldiers had a difficult time hiding their smiles, according to the report, with the “Israeli” military apparently exerting efforts to control the narrative presented to the media.