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Ex-Israeli military commander urges caution before Gaza ground attack
Yeni Safak ^

Posted on 10/25/2023 5:08:20 AM PDT by FarCenter

A former Israeli military commander has advised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise caution before launching a ground attack in the Gaza Strip.

“I recommended to the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that we should exercise caution before launching a ground operation, as the army is not adequately prepared,” Yitzhak Brick, a former ombudsman major general, told public broadcaster KAN.

He said Palestinian groups have prepared a “robust defense strategy” for any Israeli ground operation in Gaza.

“They strategically roadside bombs, explosive belts, mines, booby traps, and anti-tank fire along the roadways," Brick said.

The former military commander warned that, “If the Israeli army ventures into Gaza, its forces will likely suffer significant attrition, resulting in a substantial number of casualties.”

"Even after entering, the primary objective, which involves dismantling Hamas and Islamic Jihad within the tunnels, will be an extraordinarily protracted endeavor, potentially lasting for several months."

Brick expected that Israeli forces would engage in “intense clashes” with Palestinian factions in Gaza.

“There will be serious issues with supplies, water, food, fuel, evacuating the wounded, repairing equipment, securing the forces, and logistical services,” he said.

“Even after a long period, the Israeli army will not be able to completely eliminate the militants; they will withdraw with many casualties, not completing the mission, and this will be seen as a major victory for Hamas."

The major general warned that an Israeli ground operation in Gaza “could potentially escalate into a regional conflict." He suggested that Israel continue its aerial strikes on Gaza “rather than a ground incursion into their territory."


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Delusional, or prophetic? One IDF general warned a massacre would happen Most dismissed retired IDF general Yitzhak Brick’s warning earlier this year of a Hamas invasion. Now Netanyahu wants his advice on how to win.

https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/delusional-or-prophetic-one-idf-general-warned-a-massacre-would-happen/

https://ict.org.il/ourteam/brik-itzhak-maj-gen-res/

1 posted on 10/25/2023 5:08:20 AM PDT by FarCenter
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To: FarCenter

There is a case to be made that Netanyahu, in order to hold onto his title, has made so many compromises with West Bank settler aligned parties, his cabinet took their eyes off the ball with Hamas in Gaza. I don’t know enough to say whether this is true, but others have said it and I see the logic. The more desperate a leader is to hold onto power, the worse his decisions will be, because he will compromise any principle to maintain his grip.


2 posted on 10/25/2023 5:15:06 AM PDT by babble-on
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To: FarCenter
They strategically roadside bombs, explosive belts, mines, booby traps, and anti-tank fire along the roadways," Brick said.

So take a page from Desert Storm.

The whole damn place is a desert (from what I've seen) suitable for a cross-country advance avoiding roadways.

Raghead bastards can't mine the entire region.

But what do I know - I was a sailor.

3 posted on 10/25/2023 5:19:10 AM PDT by grobdriver (The CDC can KMA!)
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To: FarCenter

I understand the general’s caution, but without troops on the ground in Gaza, how would Israel ever dismantle the huge tunnel system constructed by Hamas? Bunker buster bombs cannot penetrate 200 feet into the ground. This is a big problem.


4 posted on 10/25/2023 5:19:13 AM PDT by Blennos
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To: babble-on

Not just the focus on the West Bank and settlers versus Gaza, but the army has deteriorated from neglect.

Per retired General Brick - https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/delusional-or-prophetic-one-idf-general-warned-a-massacre-would-happen/

Brick warned that the Israel Defense Forces have turned into a primarily air-based military, and criticized the army leadership for its sensitivity to human losses on the ground. “The current situation of the land forces is tragic, they are not ready for war. Emergency supplies are not available, exercises have stopped and the battalions have not trained in years. There is also no weapons training and education, and the army is not capable of carrying out an attack.” The former ombudsman added that technology alone is not enough to win wars. “The truth is that an imaginary reality has been created by the general staff and spread throughout the army. The soldiers have lost their motivation and fighting spirit in recent years, and many are not ready to go into battle.”

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, October 13, 2023. Photo: Atia Mohammed/Flash90

“To completely avoid losses on the battlefield is to hinder the army’s ability to win the war. This type of thinking will ultimately lead to heavier casualties in war,” Brick told Channel 12 back in May.

Brick added that Israel’s ground forces and reserve system have been constantly ignored: “We have lost the ability to field an effective army and have become a one-dimensional aerial power that cannot win a war on its own.” In his view, Israel’s ground forces are not ready for war. The warning follows a series of polls showing that a large portion of Israeli citizens have lost faith in their country’s future. This was particularly evident over the last year, when the people were divided over political and judicial issues.

“In my role as general, I have visited more than 1,400 units and spoken to tens of thousands of commanders and soldiers, three to four times a week, four hours in each unit. I know the army on the ground better than anyone in the Israel Defense Forces,” Brick said years ago. “I have seen soldiers who do not take care of their weapons before leaving the base. No army in the world behaves like this. The soldiers carry their smartphones with them everywhere. Commands are sent via WhatsApp groups. These phones are being tracked by the enemy.”

Not only that, but commands are said to have been sent via email and then deleted, meaning no follow-up action is possible. “Our system has lost all control. Have we gone crazy? I cannot sleep at night. Our ground forces and armored corps are not ready for war,” Brick continually warned.


5 posted on 10/25/2023 5:20:58 AM PDT by FarCenter
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To: FarCenter

War has a way of weeding out incompetence.

L


6 posted on 10/25/2023 5:23:04 AM PDT by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is. )
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To: All

Netanyahu was already in a tenuous position after the protracted citizen
protests against his reforms..........then came the deadly Hamas attacks.

He’s no doubt desperate to hold onto power, now, more than ever.

As has been posted here, “the more desperate a leader is to hang onto power, the worse
his decisions will be, because he will compromise any principle to maintain his grip.”


7 posted on 10/25/2023 5:24:38 AM PDT by Liz (“The only time Biden gets his hands dirty is when he’s taking cash from foreign countries." Trump)
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To: FarCenter

Curtis LeMay would know how to deal with Gaza.


8 posted on 10/25/2023 5:25:56 AM PDT by HombreSecreto (The life of a repo man is always intense)
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To: FarCenter

MOAB’S, MOAB’S AND MORE MOAB’S


9 posted on 10/25/2023 5:26:40 AM PDT by conservaDave
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To: conservaDave

Enough MOABs and it will be 191 to 2 at the UN.


10 posted on 10/25/2023 5:28:38 AM PDT by FarCenter
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To: All
Commander Yitzhak Brick, a former major general, said Palestinian groups have prepared a “robust defense strategy” for any Israeli ground operation in Gaza. “They've strategically planted roadside bombs, explosive belts, mines, booby traps, and anti-tank fire along the roadways," Brick said. The former military commander warned that, “If the Israeli army ventures into Gaza, its forces will likely suffer significant attrition, resulting in a substantial number of casualties.”

======================================================

Truly frightening.

11 posted on 10/25/2023 5:31:23 AM PDT by Liz (“The only time Biden gets his hands dirty is when he’s taking cash from foreign countries." Trump)
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To: Blennos

I like propane, heavier than air so it will fill all the cavities. It’ll pool from the deepest of basements to the top.
A spark will light her up and between the concussion and fire shell be gutted. Stored ordinance? Probably discharged with the fire, heat and concussion. It’ll remove all cable and infrastructure. Hamas will have to renovate all interiors.
Once the power is off, vents won’t be operating unless they have solar backup

Only one problem.

Hostages.


12 posted on 10/25/2023 5:31:58 AM PDT by himno hero (had'nff )
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To: grobdriver

Gaza itself is incredibly built-up.


13 posted on 10/25/2023 5:35:06 AM PDT by babble-on
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To: himno hero

The fate of the hostages was predestined.

Hostages are not negotiating chips until all of Gaza is dust and chunks and curled rebar


14 posted on 10/25/2023 5:38:39 AM PDT by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Joe Biden is a kleptocrat)
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To: himno hero

But how to get propane, or sea water, or whatever into those tunnels??
Minus the Hostages, what would it take to make a plan like that actually happen?


15 posted on 10/25/2023 5:40:01 AM PDT by bantam
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To: FarCenter

Level the place and let Allah sort it out.


16 posted on 10/25/2023 5:41:29 AM PDT by McGruff (Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*** things up - Barack Obama)
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To: himno hero

Your technique to disable the tunnels sounds quite plausible, but how to accomplish these things without owning the surface first?

As far as the poor hostages, they must be considered casualties of war. If any of them do return, this will indeed be a blessing. But Hamas must be destroyed.


17 posted on 10/25/2023 5:44:18 AM PDT by Blennos
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To: FarCenter
He suggested that Israel continue its aerial strikes on Gaza “rather than a ground incursion into their territory."

That's the smartest thing to do. Then mine the Gaza border. Lick their wounds and move on.

People living in Gaza is not sustainable. There should be a conversation in the United Nations about the Muslim nations accepting the refugees. But we know that won't happen.

18 posted on 10/25/2023 5:48:53 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: FarCenter

The doves are coming out. Sheeple.


19 posted on 10/25/2023 5:50:17 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: HombreSecreto

The 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisons knew how to take care of Iwo Jima. Gaza is pretty similar.


20 posted on 10/25/2023 5:52:38 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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