A number of Israeli media outlets reported, on Sunday, January 14, 2024, that the war cabinet observer, Minister Gadi Eisenkot, considered that Israel’s leaders were “lying to themselves,” and that they must be wise before it is too late.

According to the Israeli newspaper “times of Israel”, Eisenkot, whose son and nephew were killed during the war in the Gaza Strip, addressed other members of the government directly, in which he said: “We must stop lying to ourselves and show courage.”

He also urged the government to make a deal with the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, and said in this regard: “A big deal must be reached that will return the hostages to the homeland. Time is running out, and every day that passes puts their lives in danger.”

This statement comes at a time when a group of reports reported that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, reiterated that they believe that only additional military pressure “will lead to such a deal.”

Eisenkot’s statement coincided with the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, sending a message on Sunday evening to the families of Israeli prisoners held by the movement, in which it said: “Wait for us... tomorrow we will tell you their fate. Your government is lying.”

Al-Qassam published a video clip of a number of prisoners sending letters to the Israeli government demanding that the war be stopped and that they be returned to their families. Al-Qassam wrote at the end of the attached video that it posted on its account on the Telegram platform: “Wait for us.. Tomorrow we will inform you of their fate.” “Your government is lying.” There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side on what was issued by the “Al-Qassam Brigades.”

In a related context, Major General in the Israeli army, Yitzhak Barek, said that it is possible that there will be tens of thousands of deaths among the ranks of the army if the political leadership insists on continuing the war on the Gaza Strip, calling on the War Council to deal realistically with this fact. He also called on it to “make a change.”

According to a report by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, on Sunday, during his participation in a program on the Israeli radio station 103FM, Barek said: “We are facing two very difficult dilemmas: Is it possible to enter and deal with Hamas on the ground inside the refugee camps crowded with millions of refugees?” It seems to me that there is a very difficult problem. “I think everyone understands that.”

He added: “Secondly, do you want to go fight there? This means thousands of deaths, perhaps tens of thousands of deaths. “The world won’t let us, and I don’t think we want to be in this situation either.”

Then Barek added: “If we continue the same battle tactics that we are doing now inside Khan Yunis and in the central camps, with all the caution that is taken, which still makes us lose one or two soldiers a day, this means that the price in six months will be high if we continue in the current way.” In my opinion, including more than half a year in order to free the kidnapped people alive “It will not matter.”

Likewise, Barek said: “There will be many victims... In order not to reach that point and save the victims and perhaps improve the chances of freeing the kidnapped people, we need change.”

Then he added: “The real problems must be presented to everyone who sits in the government, and not run away from them.” Don't say that we will win and achieve everything in the end. Let us be realistic, examine every situation and adapt to the situation.”

It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation army had announced, on Saturday, January 13, 2024, the killing of a reserve officer in its ranks, during battles in the central Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll to 521 since October 7, 2023.