Major General Eyal Zamir’s recent statements on Israeli military losses in Gaza have raised questions about the real toll of the war.
Major questions have emerged regarding the timing of the announcement by Israel’s newly appointed Chief of Staff, Major General (res.) Eyal Zamir, about new statistics concerning the Israeli army’s losses since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza and up until the end of last year.
A report broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 on Sunday, quoting statements from Zamir, who also holds the position of Director General of the Ministry of Defense, revealed that 5,942 Israeli families had “joined the list of bereaved families” in 2024, with more than 15,000 injured individuals being absorbed into the rehabilitation system.
Zamir’s statements were made in reference to the ongoing fighting, with a call to care for the families of the wounded and the deceased. He reportedly emphasized, “We must ensure that they receive appropriate support and assistance.”
According to Al-Jazeera, Israeli affairs expert Azzam Abu Al-Adas clarified that the term “list of bereaved families” is used within the Israeli army’s terminology to refer to the families of military members who have been confirmed killed during the war.
Abu Al-Adas explained, in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, that the expression “joining the list of bereaved families” specifically refers to soldiers who were killed, not civilians, since there is a separate classification for civilian deaths.
This disclosure of information marks the latest update on the army’s losses, which previously indicated a death toll of only 1,800, including about 400 soldiers who died during the ground operation in Gaza.
Al-Jazeera cited Abu Al-Adas as saying that the timing of Zamir’s announcement may have been an attempt to block information that had been leaked to the press, especially considering there have been prior leaks in similar circumstances.
Imad Abu Awad, another Israeli affairs expert, believes Zamir’s statements are part of a broader strategy to reveal the real human and material losses following the war’s conclusion, as such information is likely to be exposed eventually, Al-Jazeera reported.
He emphasized that these numbers would eventually leak, and once investigation committees begin their work, the true extent of the losses would be made public, adding that Israel’s post-war crises tend to manifest once the ceasefire agreement in Gaza is implemented.
Despite the secrecy surrounding the army’s losses, some Israeli sources have reportedly claimed that the total number of deaths in the Gaza, Lebanon, and West Bank conflicts has reached 13,000.
In a previous report, military analyst Yossi Yehoshua estimated that the Israeli army lost hundreds of commanders and soldiers during the Gaza conflict, along with approximately 12,000 wounded and disabled.
The Israeli army reported on January 22 that the Givati Brigade, which recently withdrew from Gaza, had lost 86 fighters and commanders during the war.
These new figures revealed by Zamir are in sharp contrast to earlier army reports, which mentioned only about 900 deaths.
‘Eliminated from Zero Distance’ – Resistance Roundup – Day 439
Throughout the war, the Israeli army had consistently reported low numbers of casualties, but a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, published on the first anniversary of the war, indicated that 12,000 soldiers had been wounded and disabled, with the Ministry of Defense’s Rehabilitation Department caring for them.
The report noted that half of these wounded soldiers were between the ages of 18 and 30, and 66% were reservists. It also mentioned that the rehabilitation department received about 1,000 new patients every month, in addition to about 500 new requests for injury recognition due to previous wounds.
On January 28, the Ministry of Defense admitted that its Rehabilitation Department had provided care to more than 15,000 soldiers since the war began.
Military analyst Amos Harel, writing for Haaretz, stated that the army’s losses were a key factor in reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, alongside the urgent need to secure the return of prisoners held by Palestinian resistance groups.
Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that the army is currently working to rebuild its ground forces, particularly its armored units. This includes the production of hundreds of Merkava 4 tanks, as the army faces a shortage of armored vehicles after heavy losses during the war.
The Israeli military was also forced to postpone the decommissioning of the Merkava 3 due to the extensive losses sustained during the Gaza operation and is now focused on restoring damaged and destroyed tanks to fill the gap.
According to Al-Jazeera, military analysts predict that it will take the Israeli army eight years to fully restore its pre-war status, including replacing commanders and officers across various ranks.
This allegedly underscores Zamir’s push for a larger and stronger army, as he advocates for longer periods of compulsory service and the inclusion of Haredi Jews in the military.
(PC, AJA)
