The Israeli occupation army is to probe the Zionist military establishment’s failures in the lead-up to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, as the war in Gaza grinds on for the day 91.
Israeli media reported on Friday a backlash from the occupation government ministers after Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said he has formed a team of former military officials to investigate the army’s failures in the lead-up to the heroic Hamas operation on October 7th.
Former Israeli chief of staff Shaul Mofaz, former Military Intelligence Directorate head Aharon Ze’evi-Farkash, former Southern Command leader Sami Turgeman and former Operations Directorate chief Yoav Har-Even will be among the members of the investigatory team, The Times of Israel reported on Friday.
The team will probe the actions of the Israeli army on October 7 and the period leading up to the Hamas attack. The investigation is aimed at drawing operational conclusions for the military, and will not look into the policies of the political leadership, the Israeli media outlet added.
Halevi Clarifies
Responding to the backlash from cabinet ministers, Halevi clarified Friday that the investigation will deal with the occupation army’s state of preparedness only.
According to Ynet, Halevi told Israeli defense officials that he will hold “a professional investigation by external observation to examine the conduct of the army in the war to improve its performance for the future,” and reiterated that it will not investigate any aspect of Israeli response on a national-political level.
Under the planned probe, Mofaz will investigate the occupation army’s General Staff, Ze’evi-Farkash will investigate the military intelligence, Turgeman will investigate the failed defenses on the Gaza border, and Har-Even will investigate the general operational aspects of October 7.
The decision came as a meeting of top ministers Thursday night intended to discuss the so-called planning for the administration of Gaza following the war, as right-wing lawmakers cried foul over the plans for the occupation military to probe its own mistakes.
The brawl saw Israeli right-wing politicians, including some from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, take aim at Halevi over both the timing of the inquest and the inclusion of Mofaz, a former politician.
Continuous Massacres
Meanwhile, Israeli assaults on several areas across the besieged enclaved continued for the 91th consecutive day.
Heavy bombardments were reported on Friday near Deir Al-Balah, including at the Nuseirat, Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps.
At least 32 people were martyred in Khan Younis and five in Rafah, as the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) made an urgent appeal for basic supplies.
“Forgive me my sons!”
A Palestinian father bids painful farewell to his children who were massacred by an Israeli airstrike targeted an inhabited house belonging to Abu Senjer family in Rafah city, south of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/JbDzmz0FGn
— Kuffiya (@Kuffiyateam) January 5, 2024
The Palestinian Ministry of Health, on its part, said at least 22,600 people have been martyred in Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli aggression on October 7.
A total of 57,910 people have been wounded, the majority of them women and children. About 7,000 are missing, presumed to be dead under the rubble, the ministry said in a statement, adding that it had recorded 162 deaths over the past 24 hours.
Resistance Confronts Aggression
On the other hand, the resistance groups continued to confront the Israeli aggression on several fronts across the war-torn strip.
Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad resistance group, declared it has fired rockets at Nahal Oz and Alumim in Gaza envelope settlements.
The group’s fighters also took part in a joint operation with Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, in Khan Yunis. The operation saw the destruction of 3 Israeli Merkavas after firing Yassine-105 and Tandem charge projectiles.
Al-Qassam also said its fighters targeted a Zionist bulldozer with Al-Yassin-105 shell in the town of Khuzaa, east of Khan Yunis city in southern Gaza.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
