TEHRAN — While Israeli officials publicly insist that Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a major May ground and air offensive aimed at defeating Hamas, freeing Israeli captives, and seizing control over most of the Gaza Strip, was a success, newly leaked internal documents from the Israeli military tell a very different story.

A critical assessment prepared by the Israeli Army’s Ground Forces Operational Training Center describes the operation as a strategic and operational failure, highlighting a pattern of mismanagement, indecision, and underestimation of Palestinian resistance.

The leaked booklet — distributed among units operating inside Gaza — admits that Israel “committed every possible mistake in war management.”

Among the errors listed: providing logistics that indirectly benefited Hamas, fighting an open-ended war without time management, relying on unsuitable combat methods, and launching attacks without decisive outcomes.

One particularly damning passage states: “The cost of the operation was considered more important than the mission itself.” In other words, while Israel’s leadership praised restraint and “measured” tactics, soldiers on the ground saw the approach as hesitant and self-defeating.

Hamas’ endurance versus Israel’s stagnation

The report concedes that Hamas possessed all the necessary conditions to survive and even claim victory: underground shelters, psychological leverage through prisoners, adaptable tactics, and the ability to withstand long-term confrontation.

In contrast, the Israeli army became bogged down in Gaza’s dense urban terrain, suffering from slow advances, bureaucracy, and a lack of coherent strategy.

Another section describes Israel’s flawed operational logic:

- No focus on the enemy’s true center of gravity.
- Trapped forces with no clear exit strategy.
- A war with no defined end date, granting Hamas time to regroup.
- Temporary occupations of areas that were quickly lost.

The leaked documents even acknowledge that Hamas’ leaders survived and morale among fighters remained intact — a stark contradiction to Israeli officials’ claims of “decisive achievements.”

Mounting casualties and societal cost

Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, Israel has suffered enormous losses. More than 900 Israeli soldiers have been killed, alongside thousands of injured.

The impact on Israeli society has been severe: mass demonstrations across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa have erupted against the government’s handling of the conflict, with families of soldiers and hostages leading protests.

The economic toll is also staggering. Prolonged mobilization of reservists has disrupted workplaces, while billions of dollars have been funneled into a war that, by the military’s own admission, failed to meet its goals.

Strategic dependency and political crisis

The leaked assessment highlights another weakness: Israel’s growing reliance on U.S. military and political backing. Far from demonstrating independence, the war underscored Israel’s dependency, as American weapons and diplomatic cover proved essential to sustain operations.
The document also lists “intelligence gaps and weak information security,” along with failures in night operations and special missions. These admissions weaken Israel’s carefully constructed image of military supremacy.

While the Chief of Staff and cabinet ministers continue to frame Operation Gideon’s Chariots as a necessary and successful campaign, the army’s own internal evaluations paint a picture of strategic confusion and defeat.

For Palestinians, the leaks serve as evidence of resilience: despite overwhelming firepower, Hamas not only survived but forced Israel into a costly and inconclusive war.
As protests mount and the toll of the war deepens, these leaks may mark a turning point — not only in Israel’s military credibility, but in its wider political stability.