It was the most difficult day in the Gaza Strip since the ground campaign began: 24 fighters killed in one day, a long list of casualties that further intensified the heavy price of this war imposed on Israel.
But, she also emphasized its necessity - a war with no choice, designed to exterminate enemies in order to prevent future wars.
21 of the dead were in an incident that occurred about 500 meters west of Kibbutz Kissufim, where the IDF was working to demolish buildings. This incident requires a thorough examination, which will move away from examining the incident itself. It raises concerns that the IDF is having difficulty responding to the change in the pattern of operations of Hamas, which has gone from fighting in the frameworks Regulated military for guerilla warfare that is adapted to the conditions in the Strip.
Soldiers of Battalion 9206, Maj. (resp.) Yuval Lopes and Capt. (resp.) Ariel Mordechai Wolfstal a day before they fell in the disaster, photo: Yossi Zeliger
The IDF does report daily on fierce fighting in the Strip, but the forces usually encounter little resistance. Hamas members operate mainly in the underground, and emerge from there to try and strike - mainly by sniping and RPG fire. This was the case the other day, where an RPG bomb hit a tank and led to a chain reaction that caused the explosion of IDF mines.
These mines were placed in two buildings intended for destruction, and the explosion caused the collapse and death of most of the soldiers who were in them and the injury of the remaining ones.
The IDF promised yesterday that the case will be investigated, and that its lessons will be learned and assimilated throughout the units. This is required in view of the intention to destroy many more houses near the contact line, in order to create a defense space that will reduce the threat to the settlements and the IDF forces.
These are houses, some of which were used for Hamas activities, among other things for going on the October 7 attack.
Yesterday's incident shows once again that professional investigations are not only in the army's nose - they really save lives.
The number of dead, and at the same time the lack of a solution to the issue of the abductees, may increase the pressure to change the course of the war
Yesterday there was criticism that the IDF endangers ground forces and does not destroy the buildings from the air. The main explanation for this is that the bombing from the air does not result in the complete destruction of the buildings in most cases, and it then requires additional demolition by bulldozers - a slow and complex activity in itself. In addition, the IDF To keep expensive armaments for the possibility of a war in Lebanon, and also to continue aiding the forces fighting in the Gaza Strip.
As part of the investigation, the IDF will be required to check the manner in which the explosion was carried out, and whether all the required control mechanisms were maintained - in terms of the IDF, in terms of the number of people who were in the building and in terms of the length of time the entire process took.
It is also possible that in the future it will be necessary to create additional protection circles for the forces that engage in such activity.
The wife of the late Major (acting) Elkana Wiesel, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Mitut Hamas and the kidnapped Shebbos - two parallel axes
The Prime Minister stated in his announcement yesterday that "the IDF has launched an investigation into the disaster", as part of the necessary lesson learning. Netanyahu did not accidentally choose the word "investigation", and not the required word "investigation": only two weeks ago his men disclosed the IDF's intention to investigate the events of October 7, in order to learn the lessons needed to continue.
Yesterday's incident shows once again that professional investigations are not only in the army's nose - they really save lives.
This difficult incident, which joined another incident in which three paratrooper officers were killed yesterday by RPG fire in Khan Yunis, is not expected to affect the course of the war in the short term, but it may have weight down the road.
Although the Israeli public hears every day about systematic attacks on terrorists and infrastructure, it still has difficulty seeing the two stated goals of the war: the overthrow of Hamas rule and the return of the kidnapped.
The deepening of the maneuver in Khan Yunis, photo: IDF spokesman
The number of dead, and at the same time the lack of a solution to the abductees issue, may increase the pressure to change the course of the war.
Even so, it is already clear that these two goals contradict each other, and contrary to what is claimed, it will be difficult to realize them at the same time.
The government must clearly tell the Israeli public, in Hebrew, where it is aiming and how it intends to realize it, otherwise it will steadily lose legitimacy for the war.
The attempt to downplay matters to the tactical level and blame the results on the IDF was destined to fail. A few hours before the series of deadly incidents, reservists were recorded leaving the Strip and protesting that they were not allowed to complete the mission. This protest was politically tinged, when the signs hanging on the armored personnel carriers featured the letter L as it appears in the symbol of the Likud movement. Beyond the fact that this is an improper use of the IDF, it is troubling that there are those who believe that the Chief of Staff decided to dilute the forces in the Gaza Strip on his own accord, while this is a decision of the political echelon that was made as part of the complex tango that Israel conducts with the United States and other countries with the aim To gain more time and legitimacy to continue fighting.
They came out in Gaza and started a protest, the protest of the reservists at the Tzalim base, photo: Berashit Headquarters
These two parallel axes - the fighting and the kidnapped - will continue to accompany us in the coming days as well.
In the issue of the abductees, efforts are constantly being made to find a way to a new deal, although it seems that it will take many more days until it becomes clear if it can mature.
It is likely that even then it will encounter considerable political difficulties in Israel, in view of the fact that Hamas demands a prolonged ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.
The main course of the war will continue to be focused on Khan Yunis in the meantime, according to estimates that the top of Hamas and many of the abductees are in the branching system of tunnels built there.
Yesterday it was reported that the encirclement of the city has been completed, and the activity is now focused on the western part of Khan Yunis where Hamas continues to maintain partial control.
Following on from this, Israel has not yet decided how to act on the explosive issue of Rafah and the Philadelphia axis, which continues to be used even now for smuggling.
to assist the reserve army
On the sidelines of yesterday's difficult day, you are asked to pay attention to two important issues.
The first, the reserve army.
The current war has once again taught about their necessity, certainly when there is a possibility of escalation in the north as well.
Since this is a long campaign that is expected to continue, it is necessary to improve the response given to them in a long series of issues - wages, studies, and especially assistance to their private rear, who is left to carry the household chores alone.
The Chief of Staff in conversation with the reservists in the Gaza Strip, photo: IDF spokesman
The second issue is the mosaic of servants.
There were those who tried to claim that only one or another sector fought and paid the price, while others avoided carrying the burden.
A quick glance at the list of the localities from which the fallen came from yesterday invalidates this claim from the ground up and teaches, once again, that this is an all-Israeli war over the home.
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