Ofer Winter Accuses Gadi Eisenkot of Lying as IDF Chief to Prevent Gaza Attack

Ofer Winter, chairman of the 'Am Israel' party, alleged on Tuesday that Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the 'Yashar' party and former IDF Chief of Staff, lied to the political leadership during his tenure to prevent a military strike in the Gaza Strip. Winter, who served as the military secretary to then-Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, claims the incident occurred in October 2018. At the time, Hamas was launching incendiary balloons into Israel, similar to recent escalations. Winter stated that the cabinet had decided the Prime Minister and Defense Minister could authorize an attack if the situation worsened. He recounted that on a particular Friday, despite what he described as the most severe disturbances on the Gaza border in three months, the IDF spokesperson issued a statement calling it the quietest Friday in three months. "You understand the madness? Lying to the political echelon, shaping reality as convenient, all to avoid a military attack in Gaza," Winter said. He further asserted that for years, defense system leaders became addicted to quiet, which he described as a false peace, and that there is no such thing as an arrangement with an enemy.