A former Israeli military commander said on Thursday that the country's army is spreading illusions and is not telling the truth about the war in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the army is "worn out and unable to eliminate Hamas."

Retired General Yitzhak Brik told local radio 103FM: “The Israeli army spreads illusions, throws ashes in the eyes of the public, and does not tell the truth. We also cannot bring down Hamas.”

He added: "Today, since we are a small army unable to eliminate Hamas, we will certainly face a problem if we start a comprehensive war. There must be a deadline and a cessation of hostilities," referring to accepting a ceasefire agreement.

He pointed out that he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 6 times, 4 of which he explained the reasons for not allowing the Israeli army to enter Rafah.

Since May 6, Israel has been launching a ground attack in Rafah, and the next day it seized the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Which caused it to be closed to the entry of limited humanitarian aid.

Brik said: “Entering Rafah did us no good and was of no benefit. On the contrary, it was a tragic mistake. It distanced us from the world, kept us away from peace with Egypt, and may lead to losing our ability to return the kidnapped people forever,” referring to the Israeli prisoners in Gaza.

On the other hand, Brick wrote in an article in the Israeli newspaper Maariv on Thursday: “There is one clear and certain fact, and I sign it knowing the facts: the Israeli army cannot defeat Hamas in this war, and certainly not Hezbollah.”

He added: "I think this is not because we do not want to win, but because we simply cannot do so. Our army is small and worn out and does not have a surplus of troops. In this situation, and every day that the war continues, our situation gets worse."

He continued: "The collapse of the state is only a matter of time, because we are vulnerable to losing it when a comprehensive regional war breaks out."

He added: "The leaders at the political and military levels, who are leading the war in Gaza, do not want to acknowledge the difficult realities for which they are responsible. They have only one agenda - to continue fighting at any cost, because it alone guarantees them the continuation of their position for a short period of time."

He added: "It is better to remove this group from power now than to lose the country in the process that passes like a movie before our eyes."

Brik considered that "the only solution remaining in the situation we have reached due to the criminal negligence of the leaders of the state and the army is for Israel to declare a cessation of hostilities, immediately rehabilitate the army, our economy, our international relations, and the steadfastness of society, and reach an agreement to release our hostages imprisoned in the darkness in the Hamas tunnels." .

"If this does not happen, we will have no hope of surviving," Brick concluded by warning.