Watan-Former US military intelligence officer Scott Ritter stated that the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, achieved victory in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, both militarily and politically.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ritter added that Israel realizes that its strategy in Gaza has failed to weaken Hamas militarily, leading to a reevaluation of its priorities.
He pointed out that Tel Aviv is losing on all fronts of this political, military, and economic conflict, and will continue to do so.
Speaking about Hamas’s standing among the Palestinian people, he stated that if elections were held today in Gaza, the West Bank, and abroad, Hamas would emerge victorious as the only Palestinian organization actively working for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Regarding the Gaza ceasefire, Ritter mentioned that it is a political matter that will materialize when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is removed from office, as he is currently fighting for his political life.
The army failed in Gaza
Ritter criticized the Israeli army’s significant losses in Gaza, emphasizing that the operation by Hamas on October 7th was underestimated in its scale, and Israel was blinded by it. He noted that Israel chose genocide and failed to free its captives.
He highlighted that the occupation aims to destroy all means of life in Gaza with the hope of forcing the Palestinian people out of the region, expressing hope that it would not succeed in its endeavor.
The US military expert concluded that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which has become “lazy,” should never overly rely on the Israelis or any other state, especially after Tel Aviv’s failure to prevent the “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.”
Earlier reports revealed a complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from the northern and western parts of Gaza, marking the first time since the start of its ground operation on October 27th last year.
#عاجل | انسحاب كامل للجيش الإسرائيلي من شماليّ وغربيّ محافظتَي غزة والشمال لأول مرة منذ بدء عمليته البرية في 27 أكتوبر/تشرين الأول الماضي pic.twitter.com/9o3RGsnBC5
— TRT عربي (@TRTArabi) February 1, 2024
This followed the withdrawal of the fifth reserve brigade affiliated with the Israeli occupation army from the city of Gaza, leaving only one reserve brigade in the sector.
The Israeli military radio stated that the fifth reserve brigade left Gaza, claiming it had completed its mission, as part of the ongoing reduction of additional reserve forces in the Gaza Strip.
It added that this brigade had fought in recent weeks in the northern Gaza Strip as part of the 162nd Division, claiming it had control over the coastal strip west of Gaza City.