Ex-General Ofer Winter Warned Netanyahu of Catastrophic Ground Invasion Casualties

Former Brigadier General Ofer Winter met secretly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after the October 7th Hamas attacks, urging him to consider a siege of the Gaza Strip instead of a ground invasion. Winter presented dire scenarios to Netanyahu, warning of "15,000 killed soldiers" and "thousands of soldiers kidnapped," stating that "tall buildings will collapse on entire companies" and that the invasion would be a "national disaster." These meetings, which reportedly took place in a safe house without his commanders' approval, also involved other figures who reportedly opposed the military's ground operation plans.

Winter, then a brigadier general without an official role, also presented his concerns to senior military officials. According to sources, his warnings created "demoralization" in the early weeks of the war and may have contributed to Netanyahu's hesitation regarding the ground offensive. One former senior official claimed Winter was brought to Netanyahu alongside other dissenting figures, including retired Major General Yitzhak Brick, to undermine the position of then-Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

Winter's opposition to the ground operation was reportedly linked to his lack of promotion within the IDF during the war. He had previously stated that a ground entry into Gaza could be a "death trap." However, Winter later clarified that his objection was not to the maneuver itself, but to a "blind" entry without proper planning adjustments.

In response to the report, Winter's office issued a statement calling the claim that he predicted 15,000 casualties and stated the IDF could not win a "complete lie." They asserted his proposal was for a "powerful, short, and smart war leading to decision and victory, not a three-year campaign without a decision."