Former Israel Defence Minister says soldiers plagued by nightmares, economy in collapse

Israeli soldiers are plagued by nightmares, the economy is collapsing and diplomacy eroding, former Defence Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said Monday, Anadolu Agency reports.

“Nine months have passed since the deadly surprise attack by Hamas on the state of Israel and its people, and it seems as though nothing has changed within the Israeli leadership,” Lieberman wrote in an article published on the Israeli news site, Walla.

“Children and adults, soldiers and reservists are suffering from nightmares about what has happened and what might happen. The Israeli economy is collapsing, and Israeli diplomacy is eroding,” the leader of the right-wing opposition, Yisrael Beiteinu Party, added.

Referring to tensions between Israel and the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, Lieberman said: “The north is desolate and scorched; Iran continues to arm itself; and while all this is happening, the corrupt government continues as if nothing has happened.”

“Negotiations for the release of hostages should take place away from the cameras, allowing the professional team led by Nitzan Alon (responsible for the missing persons file in the Israeli army) to lead the process with full support,” Lieberman said.

OPINION: Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza has backfired on Israelis

Meanwhile, Lieberman said that Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will dissolve the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) in November.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu will dissolve the Knesset in November,” he was quoted as saying at an economic conference in Tel Aviv by Israeli daily, Maariv.

“I hope we can disperse the Knesset before then. We want a broad wall-to-wall Zionist coalition, without that it is impossible to fix anything,” he added.

Despite Netanyahu’s repeated refusal to hold early elections amid the ongoing war in Gaza, the Israeli opposition has been pushing for a new vote.

The current government was formed at the end of 2022 following general elections and is legally expected to remain in office for four years, unless early elections are held.

Israel has killed nearly 38,700 Palestinians in Gaza since a 7 October cross-border attack by Hamas that claimed 1,200 lives and took another 250 as hostages. Israeli actions have triggered a humanitarian disaster and an ongoing trial over genocide at the International Court of Justice. Negotiations for a permanent ceasefire and release of captives continue but have not succeeded yet.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

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