BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- A 
retired Israeli major general has openly admitted to Israel’s military weaknesses and strategic setbacks as the regime remains stuck in Gaza amid ongoing clashes with Hamas resistance fighters.
Major General Yitzhak Brik, a former senior officer of the Israeli military, wrote in an op-ed for the Israeli news website Arutz Sheva, “The painful truth, as reflected by senior officers—from generals to company commanders speaking off the record—is that Israel was not prepared for the ‘Iron Swords’ war.”
Brik continued, “The Israeli regime has already suffered a strategic loss in its campaign against Hamas.”
The general pointed to the dire state of Israel’s ground forces, saying they are “severely depleted and undergoing structural decline.” He emphasized, “Their inability to decisively defeat Hamas is only part of a larger problem.”
Since the conflict began in October 2023, over 59,100 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed under a savage Israeli siege, while Hamas fighters continue to engage Israeli forces throughout Gaza. In one recent attack, five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 injured in northern Gaza.
Brik criticized Israel’s leadership, warning, “While Israel remains bogged down in the Gaza Strip, its leadership is failing to prepare the military for the next and potentially far more dangerous conflict.”
He further described the situation in the occupied West Bank as a “powder keg,” noting that nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed there since October and over 7,000 injured. Reports from Doctors Without Borders reveal that “40,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced” in the region due to Israeli military operations.
On the northern border, Brik pointed to Hezbollah as an ongoing threat: “Hezbollah remains active, despite being weakened. It possesses hundreds of kilometers of tunnels and enough ammunition to paralyze northern Israel—just as it did during a barrage of over 100 rockets per day in the days leading up to a ceasefire.”
He added that despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27, 2024, “Israeli forces continue to violate the ceasefire on a daily basis.”
Brik also sounded the alarm over Egypt, stating, “Intelligence
 suggests the Egyptian military is preparing for a potential confrontation with Israel.” 
He warned that the Israeli military currently “lacks the manpower to respond effectively,” and mentioned “activities of some resistance groups along the border with Jordan.”
Regarding Iran, Brik noted, “Iran is rapidly enhancing its missile capabilities.” His statements come after Israel’s June 13, 2024 attacks on Iranian targets martyred more than 1,060 Iranians, including military commanders, scientists, and civilians. Following U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran retaliated by striking Israeli and U.S. sites in the region.
Brik concluded with a grave warning: “If the IDF [military] is not properly prepared for these emerging dangers, the next war could be exponentially more devastating.”