There is a growing divide within Israel’s leadership about the ongoing war in Gaza. Israel’s top generals are pushing for a ceasefire even if it means allowing Hamas to remain in power temporarily, The New York Times reported citing interviews with six serving and retired generals.
Their stance paints is sharply in contrast with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to any truce or end to the war before Hamas is completely wiped out.
We explain the rationale behind the generals’ call for a ceasefire, focusing on issues of military readiness, the threat from Hezbollah, and the fate of Israeli hostages.
Military equipment and readiness concerns
The Israeli generals’ call for a ceasefire is partly driven by concerns about the country’s military readiness. According to the New York Times, some officials believe that Israel is under-equipped for prolonged conflict after going through its longest war in decades. Earlier this year, Ron Tomer, President of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, had told Times of Israel that around October 2023, certain military production lines were under-utilised due to budget constraints.
Further exacerbating the issue is the significant reduction in arms shipments from key allies. In May, United States President Joe Biden announced a halt to certain arms shipments that could be used in Gaza, though he said that this did not include defensive systems like the Iron Dome.
Simultaneously, there were reports of a noticeable drop in American weapon deliveries, with only a handful of shipments arriving in recent months compared to the higher numbers seen earlier in the conflict.
The Haaretz Daily, after tracking the number of American military and civilian cargo planes landing in Israel from US military bases around the globe, had reported that there have been around 173 shipments since October 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel.
(Storycourtesy: indiapost.com)