Lieberman: Removing Netanyahu is a reward for the people and a former general: The Khan Yunis ambush is a scandal

Sharp criticism was directed at the Tel Aviv government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, as Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beytenu party, considered getting rid of him a “reward for the people,” while retired Major General Yitzhak Brick considered the killing of 3 soldiers and the wounding of 14 in an ambush in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, a “scandal.” 

With the escalation of disputes inside Israel, criticism directed at the Council of Ministers continued, and Avigdor Lieberman, head of the extremist Yisrael Our Home party, called on Sunday for the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while a retired major general considered the incident of the killing of 3 soldiers and the injury of 14 others in an ambush in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. With "scandal and criminal negligence."

Lieberman said in statements to Hebrew media that the Israeli government has reached its end, considering the removal of its president, Benjamin Netanyahu, as a "reward for the people."

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted the former Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013-2015), Defense (2016-2018) and Finance (2021-2022), saying: “The government has exhausted itself and is finished, and getting rid of Netanyahu is a reward for the people of Israel.”

Lieberman commented on the behavior of the War Council and the differences between its ministers, indicating that there is a change in direction. On the one hand, they say, “Together we will win,” and on the other hand, there is a war (within the council).

He explained that War Council Minister Benny Gantz, head of the State Camp party, will go to the United States, contrary to the Prime Minister’s position, and in the background there is also a document by (War Council Minister Gadi) Eisenkot.”

In a related context, Israeli Occupation Army Radio quoted Lieberman as saying: “I expect that Benny Gantz and the state camp will announce that this government is over, and that we need to return to the voter.”

Yedioth Ahronoth revealed an expected visit by Gantz, on Sunday, to the United States, without obtaining permission from Netanyahu, which prompted the latter to direct the Tel Aviv ambassador in Washington not to accompany Gantz in his upcoming meetings with US administration officials.

On February 19, the private Channel 12 revealed a document sent by War Council member Eisenkot to the same forum, in which he warned of “increasing difficulty in achieving the goals of the war.”

At that time, Eisenkot said: “The strategic plan for the war has faltered, which practically threatens the achievement of its goals and the strategic position of the State of Israel.”

Khan Yunis ambush: “scandal and negligence”

In another context, retired Israeli Major General Yitzhak Brik described the killing of 3 soldiers and the injury of 14 others in an ambush in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip as a “scandal and criminal negligence at the highest levels of the army.”

Yesterday, Saturday, the occupation army announced that 3 soldiers were killed and 14 others were injured, including 5 in serious condition, as a result of the explosion of explosive devices in a building in the city of Khan Yunis, a day earlier.

Major General Brik said in statements to the Hebrew newspaper Maariv, on Sunday, commenting on the incident: “The Israeli army quickly enters the fighting with reserve units that have not trained for years, and without prior plans.”

He pointed out that some regular soldiers are not familiar with fighting and training in built-up areas, adding: “When our soldiers enter a building without any means of inspection, a bomb explodes, sometimes killing and seriously wounding dozens of our soldiers.”

The retired commander said: "This is a scandal that has no precedent in Israel's wars, and an absolute chaos in military discipline. Every company commander decides for himself how to act according to his understanding, without any guidance from his commanders."

He added: "This is being allowed to happen again and again, and soldiers are being killed and seriously injured en masse. This is not fate. It is caused by criminal negligence at the highest levels of the army."

In response to a question about what the Israelis do not know about the real military situation of their country’s army in the war, Brik replied: “Today we are losing sites in the northern Gaza Strip, and in Gaza City, Jabalia, Al-Zaytoun and Al-Shuja’iya, which the Israeli army occupied only two months ago, at a heavy price in terms of our deaths and wounded.” .

Brick stressed, "The Israeli public does not understand that if this process continues in this way, we will reach a terrible and terrible situation. We will not achieve the destruction of Hamas, we will not achieve the safe release of our kidnappers, and we will have hundreds more dead."

Since October 7, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip that has left tens of thousands of civilians martyred and injured, most of them children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction of infrastructure, which led to Tel Aviv being brought before the International Court of Justice on charges of “genocide.” Collective.”