Ofer Winter Accuses Ex-IDF Chief of Staff of Falsifying Data on Gaza

Ofer Winter, chairman of the 'Am Israel' party, has accused former IDF Chief of General Staff Gadi Eisenkot of fabricating data and misleading the political echelon during his tenure to avoid military action in Gaza. Winter, who previously served as the military secretary to the Defense Minister, made these allegations to hundreds of activists, recounting an incident from October 2018.

Winter described a period when Israel faced riots and incendiary balloon attacks from Gaza. He stated that the Israeli cabinet had decided that in case of escalation, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister would be authorized to order an attack on Gaza. Winter claimed that on a specific Friday in October 2018, despite significant disturbances along the border, the IDF spokesperson issued a statement calling it the "quietest Friday in three months." Winter asserted that his own review of the data that evening revealed the opposite, describing it as the "most severe Friday in three months."

According to Winter, this discrepancy was not accidental but a deliberate attempt to influence political decision-making and prevent an offensive in Gaza. "Can you understand the madness? Lying to the political echelon, arranging reality as it is convenient, all to avoid a military attack in Gaza," he stated.

These accusations come amid reported tensions and political rivalry between Winter and Eisenkot. The article notes that Winter's claims have not been independently verified, and no data or documents were presented to substantiate whether the IDF spokesperson's statement was indeed inaccurate or what the true motivations behind it might have been.