Gadi Eisenkot's chilling warning: Hamas has 25,000 fighters ready for war; Islamic Jihad has 5,000

Knesset Member Gadi Eisenkot, alongside opposition members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, has called for an urgent discussion with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The demand, outlined in a letter, cites the government’s failure to achieve the war’s goals and harm to Israel’s security and national interests.

The lawmakers—including Ram Ben Barak, Meir Cohen, Elazar Stern, Moshe Tur-Paz, Sharon Nir, and Merav Michaeli—claim that recent updates show Hamas has restored its military strength to over 25,000 armed terrorists, with Islamic Jihad exceeding 5,000. They argue that over the past month, the government has neglected its role as the IDF’s supreme command, failing to advance objectives like returning hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing power.

The letter accuses Netanyahu and Katz of acting against a May 27, 2024, War Cabinet decision and a January 17, 2025, government resolution (No. 2689) to secure the hostages’ release, including approved phases B and C. It also highlights violations of the Security Service Law and a June 25, 2024, High Court ruling mandating immediate yeshiva student conscription.