By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Brik, a former commander of the Armored Corps, is often referred to as the “prophet of wrath” for his warnings about potential large-scale attacks from Gaza ahead of October 7.

Retired Israeli General Yitzhak Brik has publicly disputed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims regarding the strategic significance of the Philadelphi (Salah al-Din) Corridor in southern Gaza, which Netanyahu has argued is crucial for preventing the smuggling of weapons. 

In an interview with FM 103, affiliated with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Brik downplayed the corridor’s importance in the current war. 

He described Netanyahu’s emphasis on it as “the biggest trick since the founding of the state, aimed at misleading the public.”

Brik, a former commander of the Armored Corps, is often referred to as the “prophet of wrath” for his warnings about potential large-scale attacks from Gaza ahead of October 7.

In the interview, the former general recounted his conversations with Netanyahu, particularly during the October 7 attacks, noting that the prime minister’s current stance is at odds with his earlier position. 

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Brik said he had informed Netanyahu that the only way to stop tunnel smuggling under the Philadelphi Corridor was to dig a 14-kilometer-long, 50-meter-deep trench and build a wall. 

According to Brik, Netanyahu had rejected this suggestion, saying that this was not possible.

 Netanyahu had also expressed concerns about straining relations with Egypt, reportedly saying, “The Egyptians are not ready, and I don’t want to jeopardize peace or turn them into a hostile force against us.”

Brik added that Netanyahu told him the Egyptians deny the existence of the tunnels and oppose any Israeli presence in the area, even if supported by US aid. 

Brik also said that Netanyahu proposed an alternative solution: building a wall between Rafah and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. 

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However, the Israeli general argued that smuggling occurs primarily underground, not above ground, and even if some smuggling happens through the Rafah crossing, it would still rely on tunnels.

Brik accused Netanyahu of being primarily concerned with maintaining his political power, stating that the prime minister’s policies are leading Israel into prolonged war, which could cause economic collapse, harm international relations, and weaken the military.

Brik also criticized the Israeli military leadership, expressing disappointment that the Chief of Staff had not resigned to take responsibility for what he described as the failure of the war. 

‘Gazan Mud’

This is not the first time Brick expresses his criticism of Netanyahu’s actions.

In an article published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on August 22, he stated that Israel could face collapse within a year if the ongoing war of attrition against the Palestinian movement Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah continues. 

“After the occupation of Gaza City, (Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant) said that Israel was in total control of the city and its tunnels, and within a short time, Hamas would surrender. (…) With these pronouncements, Gallant, along with his colleagues IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been throwing dust in the eyes of the Israeli public,” the former Israeli general wrote.

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“Israel is sinking deeper into the Gazan mud, losing more and more soldiers as they get killed or wounded, without any chance of achieving the war’s main goal: bringing down Hamas.”

The former Israeli general further warned that all current political and military strategies are leading Israel towards disaster. 

“The country really is galloping towards the edge of an abyss. If the war of attrition against Hamas and Hezbollah continues, Israel will collapse within no more than a year,” he warned.

Ongoing Genocide

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza. 

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.  

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 40,939 Palestinians have been killed, and 94,616 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’. 

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Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children. 

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.  

(PC, AJA)