Former Deputy Head Of The Mossad Intelligence Agency Values Israel's Loss Of War In Gaza

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Israeli lawmaker who is also a former deputy head of the Mossad intelligence agency criticized the ongoing war in Gaza, saying it was "sia-sia", assessing Israel was on the losing side and warning the country was facing an economic collapse.

"This war has no clear purpose, and it is clear that we really lost," Ram Ben-Barak told Israeli public radio, quoted by the Daily Sabah on May 20.

"We were forced to engage in fighting in the same region and eventually lost more soldiers," he continued.

"We are also facing setbacks in the international arena, with our relations with the United States significantly deteriorating, and Israel's economy declining," he said.

"Show me one thing we have succeeded in doing?" he asked.

Every day, Palestinian factions report the killings and injuries of Israeli soldiers, as well as the destruction of military vehicles and often share video clips documenting their operations.

Locally, Israeli authorities face charges of hiding greater casualties and injuries among the army.

Separately, the military wing of the militant group Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigade said on Saturday it killed 15 Israeli soldiers in the eastern city of Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip.

They also stated on Friday, over the past 10 days, they targeted 100 different Israeli military vehicles across all lines of conflict.

The latest war in Gaza has lasted more than seven months since the outbreak of October 7, 2023. Most of Gaza's territory was destroyed by food blockades, clean water, and crippling medicines.

Gaza's Ministry of Health on Sunday reported that at least 70 people were killed and 110 others injured in Israeli attacks that occurred in the past 24 hours, quoted from WAFA.

That caused the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza to now soar to 35,456, while 79,476 others were injured.