Israeli Leadership Braces for Release of Report on Gaza War

The Israeli brain trust that orchestrated the 2014 war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip is bracing for the release of the official report into the particulars of how decisions were made and the efficacy of roads taken. Those who claim knowledge of the report have told media outlets not to expect any recommendations that any individual – civilian or military – lose their job over the results. They also claim the harshest criticism is reserved for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu who was castigated in an earlier draft for violating the law by failing to keep the security cabinet in the loop during the conflict. The critique echoes that of many officials who, since the end of Operation Protective Edge, charged Netanyahu with failing to utilize the resources available to him such as the security cabinet to seek alternatives to the warfare that ensued. They argue that the army was free to set its own agenda without civilian/government oversight. A key issue the report is expected to deal with is that of the tunnels dug by Hamas beneath the Gaza Strip and in cases, underneath Israeli territory. It is expected to allege that Prime Minister Netanyahu had adequate information concerning the strategic threat the tunnels provided and the near-total lack of planning to neutralize them once the military operation commenced.