Ofer Winter Slams Gadi Eisenkot Over War Strategy Claims

Ofer Winter, chairman of the "Am Israel" party and a retired Brigadier General, launched a sharp attack on Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the "Yashar!" party, following Eisenkot's remarks about Winter allegedly intimidating the Prime Minister at the start of the war.

Winter stated, "It is important for the public to know the truth," countering Eisenkot's claim. Winter asserted that the IDF's initial plans for entering Gaza were based on a "rounds and raids" operational concept, rather than the intensive warfare he believes was necessary. He claimed that at the time, he advocated for avoiding repeated raids and instead pushing Gazan civilians southward to create a "smart siege," which would allow the IDF to employ greater force and protect soldiers.

Winter further accused Eisenkot and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi of being responsible for the decisions made. He pointed to Hamas still being operational three years into the war, with its elite Nukhba forces actively recruiting, and Israel continuing to send hundreds of trucks to Gaza as evidence of strategic failures.

Directly addressing Eisenkot, Winter declared, "The General Staff that you built as Chief of Staff is what led the IDF on October 7th, with a disastrous perception of the enemy and fundamentally mistaken about protecting IDF soldiers." Winter linked the current political conflict to the upcoming elections, framing the vote as a decision on who will be responsible for national security. He suggested that voting for "Am Israel" would lead to a broad national government, the integration of Haredim, voluntary emigration from Gaza, and "real security assessment."