A confidential army assessment has determined that Operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” the large-scale campaign launched in May against Hamas and concluded last month, fell short of its intended goals, according to a report released Sunday, Times of Israel reports.
Channel 12 news published portions of the internal document, which bluntly states that the mission did not accomplish either of its stated aims — removing Hamas from power or securing the release of hostages. The assessment was circulated last week by the Operational Information Center within the IDF ground forces and has already reached multiple brigades, the network said.
Commanders who went over the material voiced concerns that the findings cast a shadow over the army’s upcoming offensive in Gaza City planned for October, questioning whether the necessary lessons had been absorbed in time.
Although IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other top brass have spoken positively about Gideon’s Chariots in public forums, the internal review was far harsher, stating that “Israel made every possible mistake” in carrying out the mission, the report noted.
The document faults the army for acting “contrary to its own military doctrine” by allowing humanitarian supplies to strengthen the enemy, failing to create pressure with time constraints, misallocating resources, and ultimately draining its own troops while diminishing international backing.
It further observes that Hamas continues to benefit from everything it needs to persist and declare victory: access to supplies, safe territory, and a fighting strategy suited to its needs.
The analysis argues that Israel leaned on “deterrence logic rather than decisive victory,” seeking to extend combat until a truce and hostage-release arrangement could be reached — a tactic that Hamas was able to take advantage of in recent months.
The report also highlights what it describes as “incompetence” in handling and delivering aid, claiming that this gave Hamas the ability to mount a successful international narrative portraying Israel as deliberately starving Gaza’s civilians.
Other criticisms in the document point to the army repeatedly maneuvering in the same zones at a sluggish tempo, placing the avoidance of casualties ahead of achieving objectives. It cites factors such as attrition, troop exhaustion, worn-down equipment, and inadequate preparation for guerrilla fighting as major contributors to the shortcomings.
Still, the document concedes that many in uniform credit the campaign with pushing Hamas to lower its demands in negotiations, noting that the military pressure may have increased the number of hostages the group is prepared to release.
The IDF, for its part, rejected the conclusions, asserting that the army did meet the stated goals of the operation and is continuing efforts to fulfill the broader objectives of the war.
In its response, the military also emphasized that the paper in question was “distributed without permission or clearance from the relevant authorities. The issue is being probed.”
{Matzav.com}
Dear Matzav Inbox,
It’s very nice that some wonderful, generous people have recently decided to build chesed wedding halls in our various communities. Really, it is. The idea is noble: help struggling families make simchos without drowning in debt. But tell me: Why does “chesed” automatically mean small, squashed, and second-rate?
Why, just because someone is paying a discounted rate, does the hall have to be the size of a large shul simcha hall?
Why does the food have to look like it was thrown together by a camp kitchen on a rainy Thursday night — a few leaves of lettuce, a couple croutons, and two cherry tomatoes pretending to be an appetizer? [Evidence: Real photo above.]
Why does the schedule of the wedding have to unravel into chaos, just because the hall carries the holy label of “chesed”?
Let’s not kid ourselves. Millions were spent on these buildings. Millions. Would it really have killed someone to make them the size of a normal, mainstream hall that could comfortably seat a regular crowd? Just something normal? Something where a chosson and kallah don’t feel like they’re making their simcha in a glorified bar mitzvah hall?
And don’t tell me it’s about saving money. The money was already spent! The walls are already up, the hall is already standing. So why the decision to make them sub-par from the get-go? Who decided that people who need help automatically deserve less? Why do we build for them an experience that feels like a cut-rate version of a real wedding, instead of just giving them what every other family has?
If this is chesed, then it’s a strange kind of chesed. Real chesed is about dignity. Real chesed is about making sure the families don’t feel like second-class citizens on the happiest night of their lives. Real chesed doesn’t embarrass. It uplifts. It doesn’t scream “discount wedding.” It says, “Your simcha matters just as much as anyone else’s.”
But instead, we’ve built halls that practically announce: “This is the budget option. This is the place where you settle for less. This is where you celebrate your wedding like a shalom zachor — squish into the kabbolas ponim if you can, clear all the table and amke room for one big circle during dancing, and leave your dignity at the door.”
Why? Why do we do such dumb things? Why do we pour millions into projects that miss the whole point? If we’re going to do chesed, then do it right. Build normal halls. Serve decent food. Run a wedding like a wedding, not like a communal potluck. Give people pride, not pity.
Because at the end of the day, just because I’m using a discounted wedding hall does not mean my wedding has to look and feel discounted. My simcha should be celebrated like anyone else’s — with kavod, with joy, and with dignity. That’s the kind of chesed our community deserves.
A Frustrated Baal Simcha
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{Matzav.com}
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The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is preparing to resume deliberations on the controversial Draft Law as early as this week, with newly appointed chairman MK Boaz Bismuth leading the effort.
Following the parliamentary recess, the committee will reconvene under Bismuth’s leadership to continue discussions surrounding the legislation that has long been at the heart of debate between the chareidi community and government officials.
Ahead of the sessions, Bismuth intends to embark on a marathon of consultations in an attempt to forge broad understandings. According to information obtained by Matzav.com, his schedule includes meetings with Shas representative Ariel Attias, Defense Minister Yisroel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, as well as leaders of the IDF reserve organizations.
The government itself is grappling with tensions on the issue. At yesterday’s Cabinet meeting—held at a secure and undisclosed location in light of the recent wave of targeted killings in Yemen and Gaza and heightened threats against ministers—Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu delivered a pointed message to the chareidi factions. According to political correspondent Amit Segal, Netanyahu said: “I want this government to serve its full term. I am calling on everyone to act responsibly, return to the coalition, and ensure the passage of the 2026 budget.”
Netanyahu’s statement came against the backdrop of a strong warning issued by Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni over the weekend. Gafni declared that he would advise the Gedolei HaTorah to oppose any government budget proposals, citing what he described as violations of previous coalition agreements. Specifically, Gafni was responding to the government’s plan to slash approximately 40 million shekels from the remaining 89 million shekels allocated to the “Ofek Chadash” program.
Meanwhile, discussions between the defense establishment and the committee chair are expected to address not only the Draft Law itself but also broader issues. Reports last week indicated that Chief of Staff Zamir is scheduled to meet with Bismuth to review the army’s manpower needs. Their agenda is also expected to cover the so-called “Chief of Staff’s enhancements” relating to pension benefits, along with other pressing security matters.
That meeting is slated for next Friday, following a classified intelligence briefing Zamir will deliver to the subcommittee on intelligence affairs at the IDF’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv. Before then, on Tuesday, the closed-door committee session is set to tackle another urgent subject: the fate of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Beit Shemesh is facing one of the stormiest openings to a school year in recent memory. After months of failed placement efforts for incoming ninth-grade girls, the city’s leading rabbonim and school administrators turned to the senior Torah authority of the city, Rav Mordechai Goldstein, who issued a dramatic ruling: the school year for ninth grade will not open until the issue of student placements is resolved.
According to the details, the city’s Department of Education was unable to place all the girls into existing seminaries. Administrators had warned repeatedly that without clear agreements that they would not begin the year, but the municipality, they said, did little to resolve the situation. As a result, the seminary principals gathered this morning at the home of Rav Goldstein, who instructed them not to open the year until a proper arrangement is reached.
Beit Shemesh is home to at least seven major schools, both Lithuanian and Sephardic, and this year an additional institution opened under the umbrella of the “New Seminary” of Yerushalayim. Local rabbonim, including Rav Elimelech Kornfeld and Rav Dani Porush, are among the key figures behind the Beit Shemesh branch.
Due to the city’s rapid population growth, demand for schools placements has skyrocketed. Principals were asked to expand class sizes from 35 to 40 girls to accommodate the need. While most schools reluctantly agreed, one new school refused to open an additional class despite allegedly committing to do so, citing a desire to preserve “quality” among its students.
This refusal, combined with political backing from city officials close to the seminary’s leaders, shifted the pressure onto the older, established institutions. A source familiar with the matter said: “The new school promised the mayor to open two classes, but after registration decided to open only one. The other schools agreed to 40 students per class, and now they are being asked to take on even more.”
Rav Goldstein reportedly told the principals that they may not exceed 40 girls per class, as they carry a responsibility to those already accepted. With the municipality unable to resolve the dispute, the matter was handed over to the Education Ministry, which summoned the principals to a hearing this coming Tuesday.
The stalemate reached its peak Sunday when school leaders once again consulted Rav Goldstein, who ruled decisively that classes for ninth grade will not open until a solution is found. This decision directly impacts some 400 girls who were supposed to begin school tomorrow.
One principal remarked: “The city has options for placement — there are schools that still haven’t filled 40 girls per class, and the new school must open two classes as it promised. There is no reason the girls should be left without a place.”
Observers note that the mayor is reluctant to pressure the new school due to the influence of a local rav, and is instead sheltering behind the claim that the school lacks formal recognition.
For now, both sides remain entrenched, leaving hundreds of young girls in limbo. Rav Goldstein, who holds the final word on school issues in the city, has made it clear: the school year will not open until every girl has a suitable placement.
A similar problem has arisen in Yerushalayim, where several institutions are also delaying the start of classes. But in Beit Shemesh the crisis is far more severe, marking what appears to be the first time the beginning of the school year has been blocked entirely due to placement disputes.
The Beit Shemesh municipality issued a brief response: “The city has placed every student into a school. There is no girl who has not been assigned. As for the refusal of certain schools to accept the city’s placements, the matter has been transferred to the Education Ministry, which will deliberate seriously and enforce the municipality’s decision.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
At a government session held on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu appealed to his coalition partners who had stepped away, urging them to rejoin and allow the current government to finish its mandate.
“This government must serve out its full term. You see what’s happening with the Houthis—that’s why we’re here in this room,” Netanyahu stated, according to a Channel 13 News report by Yuval Segev.
Netanyahu pointed out that only his administration has the ability to properly navigate the difficulties the country is facing. “We have the Draft Law before us, and there are other matters I won’t elaborate on here,” he remarked.
He made it clear that there are two pressing objectives. “We must first make a supreme effort to ensure the school year begins smoothly – and then work to bring our partners back into the government.”
The Prime Minister highlighted that stability and achdus are essential. “We need to reach agreement on the budget and the Draft Law.”
He declared with conviction, “If we complete these tasks, we can continue to lead the State of Israel for years to come. This is vital for our survival. I don’t believe any other government would have done what we did to eliminate the existential threat above our heads.”
Addressing the critics who have downplayed recent achievements, Netanyahu said, “Our opponents in the media and politics are doing everything they can to make people forget that small event – which is actually one of the greatest victories in the history of Israel. And I’m not just talking about the State of Israel, but the entire history of the Jewish people. Who else would have done this, if not us?”
According to the report, Netanyahu expressed disappointment over the absence of the chareidi representatives from the session. “There’s no substitute for this government,” he said. “I’m sorry our chareidi friends aren’t here, because this is something we need to say to them directly – to look them in the eye and speak to their minds.”
He added that his intent is to inspire with lasting depth. “Not like a bullet, but like a piercing insight – one that reaches both heart and mind. That’s what I want all of us to take in.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
