A classified Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) document distributed among military ranks concludes that the military operation “Chariots of Gideon,” the large-scale offensive launched by the Israeli army against Hamas in May, failed to achieve its primary objectives, according to Israeli television network Channel 12. According to portions of the document released by Channel 12, the operation failed to achieve any of its goals—neither the overthrow of Hamas nor the liberation of hostages.
Israel: IDF criticized for repeated maneuvers in same areas at slow pace
While IDF Chief Eyal Zamir and other senior officers publicly praised the campaign, the internal assessment explicitly states that “Israel made every possible mistake” during its conduct. The document accuses the military of acting “contrary to its own military doctrine,” providing resources to the enemy through humanitarian aid, failing to apply time pressure, mismanaging resources and exhausting its own forces, while international support eroded. According to the assessment, Hamas managed to survive and demonstrate success by extracting resources, securing territory, and implementing appropriate combat methods.
The document emphasizes that Israel’s reliance on “deterrence logic rather than decisive victory,” aimed at a ceasefire and hostage release agreement, combined with weaknesses in planning and aid distribution, allowed Hamas to successfully conduct a “false starvation campaign.”
The IDF is criticized for repeated maneuvers in the same areas at a slow pace, prioritizing casualty avoidance over mission success, while attrition, personnel fatigue, and inadequate preparation for guerrilla warfare are highlighted as key reasons for failure.
