Ex-IDF General Accuses Former Chief of Staff of Fabricating Data on Gaza

Former IDF Brigadier General Ofer Winter, now chairman of the 'Amcha Israel' party, accused former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot of fabricating data and lying to the political echelon to avoid military action in Gaza. Speaking at a party conference on Sunday, Winter, who served as the military secretary to the Defense Minister in 2018, claimed that a cabinet decision was made that year allowing the Prime Minister and Defense Minister to order an attack on Gaza during escalations.

Winter alleged that during his tenure, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit reported a Friday border incident with Gaza as the "quietest Friday in three months." However, Winter stated that upon reviewing the data himself, he discovered the opposite was true, calling it the "most severe Friday in three months." He asserted that this manipulation of reality was intended to prevent a military operation in Gaza.

Winter further criticized the policy of seeking "quiet" and arrangements with Hamas, arguing that this approach led to repeated escalations. He advocated for a shift from a policy of containment and reaction to one of initiative and decisiveness, stating, "What was will not be." He called for an end to buying temporary quiet and cyclical rounds of conflict, urging Israel to take initiative instead of being dragged into confrontations.

Concluding his remarks, Winter called for a more aggressive policy against Israel's enemies, emphasizing that a truly deterred enemy is one that has paid a heavy price and understands it faces a strong nation unwilling to hesitate to break it. He affirmed the seriousness of his statements.