Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former defense minister, disclosed in a televised interview that the Mossad’s initial plan for striking Iran had been abandoned before October 7. He explained on Meet the Press that the strategy was ultimately set aside.
According to Gallant, the proposed operation was “too complex and not lethal enough.” He added that in March 2023 he had advanced an alternative strategy, which he described as a “100 day paper,” focused on concentrated aerial attacks against the Iranian regime.
The shelved proposal, he explained, would have cost the state billions of shekels and required an enormous amount of intelligence to implement effectively. Gallant said repeated delays meant it would not have been operational in time for Israel to respond when needed.
“Anyone going to war with Iran must assume Hezbollah will be drawn in,” he continued, while criticizing Naftali Bennett and Benny Gantz for failing to expand Israel’s military stockpiles when they were in government. “200,000 shells were taken from us for Ukraine. Did they order a single new shell to be produced? The answer is no.”
Gallant expressed admiration for the IDF’s role in Operation Rising Lion, stressing that while the Mossad played a small part, the Air Force executed most of the mission with intelligence gathered by the military.
He said Iran’s nuclear program has been pushed back “by years,” though he cautioned that Tehran will eventually rebuild and Israel must be ready for the next confrontation on that front.
Gallant also outlined that at the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, five objectives were defined. Of these, three have already been realized: dismantling Hamas’ organizational capacity, eliminating much of its leadership, and securing unrestricted military freedom for the IDF inside Gaza.
“To achieve the two remaining goals, returning the hostages and replacing Hamas’ rule with an adequate alternative, requires a political arrangement,” Gallant said on the program. He argued that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich currently wield “veto power” within the government.
He pressed them, and the rest of the cabinet, to accept the ceasefire and hostage-release proposal put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
“We do not leave anyone behind: Not wounded soldiers and definitely not civilians,” Gallant said. “I believe that we must bring all the hostages home and if we can bring home ten hostages, half of those who are still alive, and the remains of the deceased hostages in the first stage of the deal, then we must take it.”
{Matzav.com}
