The conflict in the Gaza region between Israel and Palestinian Hamas has been going on for more than two months. Under the continuous air and ground attacks of the Israeli army, the Gaza region suffered heavy losses. But at the same time, the Israeli side has also paid a heavy price in this battle.
According to reports, the 1st Brigade of the prestigious elite unit of the Israeli Army, the "Golani Brigade", has been fully withdrawn from the Gaza front line and returned to Israeli territory in the past few days. After 60 days of continuous fighting, this unit, which was once touted as the "iron army" of the Israeli army, was too heavy to continue fighting.
Not only did a large number of soldiers die, but senior officers such as brigade commanders and several battalion commanders were also killed in the crossfire. For the first time in the history of the Israeli army, the commander of a brigade was killed one after another. The Israeli military top brass kept this secret and imposed martial law, but it was revealed from some details that the 1st Brigade was currently difficult to fight.
The 1st Brigade, as the Israeli army's "Sharp Knife Brigade", was supposed to be the main force in this "Operation Protective Edge" against Gaza. They first broke into Gaza, intending to quickly crush Hamas resistance and clear the way for follow-up forces. However, the reality after 60 days is that this "sharp knife" has been polished to the point of being riddled with holes, and it must be urgently evacuated to let the follow-up troops take over.
According to reports, the commander of the "Golani Brigade" was killed during an attempt to rescue besieged soldiers. During a street battle in Gaza, a small group of Israeli soldiers lost contact with the larger force and was surrounded by Hamas militants.
When the brigade commander learned about it, he immediately organized a rescue team and personally led the team to rescue these soldiers. However, the rescue team was ambushed during the rescue process, and the brigade commander and several officers unfortunately died.
On the surface, the brigade commander took the lead and sacrificed his life for several soldiers, which can be said to be very upheld to the honor of soldiers. However, this kind of righteous and courageous behavior is contrary to the duty of a soldier.
As the commander-in-chief of the brigade headquarters, the brigade commander is responsible for commanding nearly 1,000 people in the entire brigade. He should not rush to the front line with just a few followers, but should mobilize all battalions and companies to carry out joint rescue in the command post. If he can do his job as a brigade commander, he will be able to avoid unnecessary sacrifices.
The brigade commander's example was commendable, but it also led directly to the failure of the rescue operation. Along with the brigade commander, at least one battalion commander and several accompanying officers were killed. This further weakened the chain of command of the 1st Brigade.
Why, then, would the brigade commander make a decision that goes against military common sense?
Analyzing this event, we can come up with two possible explanations.
The first possibility is that the rescue operation was to meet the propaganda needs of the Israeli army. In this war, the Israeli army needs to constantly build heroes in order to maintain morale. The image of a brigade commander desperately rescuing a soldier can be used for favorable propaganda.
Israel did exactly that. They vigorously reported on this "rescue hero" incident, and praised the fallen brigade commander to the sky, calling him responsible and honored. For the ** in Israel, this has indeed had a positive effect.
But this also led to the brigade commander making a move that violated military common sense for the sake of propaganda effect. On the battlefield, unnecessary sacrifices should be avoided, but under the pressure of propaganda, sacrifices become necessary. This is a tragedy in itself.
The second possibility is that the 1st Brigade, after continuous operations, has difficulty organizing an effective rescue. According to reports, most Israeli soldiers do not have sufficient training in urban warfare, and it is difficult to conduct street fighting against Hamas. Coupled with the attrition after continuous operations, the available forces are already stretched.
So even if the brigade commander realized that it was risky to personally lead the rescue team, he had no better option. Because the brigade headquarters no longer has any extra troops to mobilize, it can only rely on a small number of immediate entourages to carry out rescue. The result is even greater sacrifice.
Whatever the reason, this reflects the current predicament faced by the Israeli 1st Brigade. Not only did they suffer heavy losses, but they also exposed the problem of insufficient training. They were expected to be the sharp knives of the attack, but now they can only withdraw from the front line in disgrace.
Currently, Israel is seeking a second humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. It appears to be to allow aid supplies to enter Gaza, but it is not difficult to see that Israel desperately needs a window through which to suspend hostilities.
During the last ceasefire, Israel urgently received large quantities of military aid from the United States and carried out a series of rearmaments. The same is true of this ceasefire, which is a means of buying time for the Israeli army to replenish and regroup.
After more than two months of continuous fighting, the Israeli army clearly felt the problem of insufficient combat strength. Not only did the troops suffer heavy losses, but they also exposed the deficiencies in various logistical support and equipment. A ceasefire can give the Israeli army a respite, readjust its deployment, and wait for the replenishment of US aid, which has become a realistic option for Israel.
The Israeli army, which seems to be always taking the initiative to attack, is actually in a precarious state. They must cease fire from time to time to "recharge" in order to maintain military operations in Gaza. Without the strong support of the United States, it is obviously difficult for Israel to make decisive progress on its own.
This is the exact opposite of the image that Israel has been trying to portray. The two ceasefires have fully exposed the plight of the Israeli army, and also made people see that the impact of this war on Israel is far beyond the first description.
After more than two months of fighting, the plight of the Israeli army has become very obvious. Not only did the troops suffer a heavy weight, but they also exposed serious deficiencies in training and equipment. They had to seek frequent ceasefires to maintain their combat effectiveness, which had become a fixed tactic of the Israeli army.
If this situation continues, it will be difficult for the Israeli army to achieve a decisive victory. As time goes by, the depletion of Israeli troops will become greater and greater, and the role of the ceasefire gap will become smaller and smaller. At that time, the Israeli army had to face the dilemma of a complete shortage of troops.
At the same time, prolonged fighting can also consume the support of Israeli society. The Israeli people, who have experienced many wars in the Middle East, are already feeling the enormous pressure of war.
The successive defeats of the Israeli army will further undermine the morale of the Israeli people. At that time, Israel** will face both internal and external pressures.
The plight of the Israeli army fully illustrates the growing possibility that this war will end in defeat. The conflict has also shown that Hamas cannot be completely defeated by purely military means. On the contrary, it will cause huge losses of personnel and financial resources, and at the same time lose international support.