Former and current Israeli military officials have said they are losing the war on Gaza while Hamas is winning.Despite having the upper hand on a tactical level, Israel still can’t defeat the Palestinian group, according to Major General Gadi Shamni, a former commander of the Israeli military’s Gaza division.

In an interview with the New York Times published on Tuesday, Shamni said Hamas was winning the war, while Israel was losing, “and in a big way”.

He said the military capabilities of Hamas have undeniably been reduced, but the group still maintains control over Gaza. Hamas members have been retaking towns across Gaza “15 minutes” after Israeli troops withdrew from them, he added.

The official also warned against launching an offensive on Lebanon, saying war there “is easy to start, but very hard to end”.