Following unprecedented missile strikes by the Islamic Republic of Iran deep within occupied Palestine, significant discussions have emerged within Israeli circles regarding the true extent of damage and casualties. Reports indicate that the Israeli regime is deliberately concealing the actual figures of losses, particularly concerning vital and strategic locations.
According to Tasnim News Agency’s international group, the recent Iranian missile attacks, which have reportedly caused widespread damage and considerable casualties since Friday night, have sparked internal debate in Israel about the real impact. Many Hebrew sources suggest that the Israeli cabinet and military are intentionally withholding information on actual casualty numbers, raising questions about their ability to protect Israelis and prevent further Iranian escalation.
Israel’s Concealment of Real Damage Statistics
Analysts and researchers, speaking to Al Jazeera, stated that the extensive destruction from Iran’s missile attacks will gradually impact public support for the conflict, intensifying protests. Consequently, the Israeli cabinet is reportedly suppressing true casualty figures to mitigate negative psychological or political repercussions on its home front, which could further destabilize its position.
Information and statistics can be crucial tools for military and political leverage during wartime. This is evident in how Israeli officials control media narratives, allowing only information that serves their domestic and international interests. Amtanas Shahadeh, director of the Israel Studies Program at Mada al-Carmel Center, told Al Jazeera that while the fall of Iranian missiles in civilian areas is immediately reported by Israeli media, precise casualty figures and details of damage to military or strategic zones are concealed. He added that the Israeli army has a military censorship body to prevent the dissemination of such information, and Israeli media outlets adhere to this censorship policy.
Muhannad Mustafa, an expert on the Israeli regime, further noted that the Israeli cabinet is hiding details about the extent of destruction and the precision of Iranian missile strikes, especially if they hit sensitive civilian or military sites. He explained that the cabinet enforces this ban under emergency wartime law, which grants it the authority to suppress military information or anything directly affecting internal security.
Shockwaves in Israeli Society and Government Deception
Mohammed Ghazi al-Jamal, an academic and political researcher, believes there is a deliberate official decision to conceal the actual human and material losses in Israel. He highlighted that this policy has been observed in previous conflicts, including the current Gaza war, where the actual number of Israeli casualties later proved to be several times higher than officially reported.
Al-Jamal emphasized that in this confrontation, what matters most is not just the number of casualties, but the type and number of vital institutions targeted by Iran. He suggested that Iran aims to disrupt the occupying regime’s operations by striking energy and scientific development centers, such as the Weizmann Institute. This Arab analyst concluded that the destruction caused by Iran’s missile attacks on the Israeli home front will gradually lead to public anger and demands for an end to the war, prompting the cabinet and army to hide the true extent of damages and casualties.
Muhannad Mustafa stressed that Israeli society is currently experiencing an unprecedented shock. After initial euphoria following the attack on Iran, Israelis realized that this conflict carries heavy costs they are unaccustomed to, revealing the true face of war. He asserted that Israelis had never witnessed such destruction on their home front, always accustomed to fighting wars outside their borders and devastating enemy territory. Previous missile attacks by Palestinian or Lebanese resistance groups had limited impact on the Israeli home front, but Iran’s current actions are terrifying for Israelis.
This expert on the Israeli regime concluded that Israeli society cannot tolerate these costs, and people will soon begin questioning when the war will end. The current signs in Israeli society indicate growing voices asserting that the cabinet has deceived settlers in estimating the expected cost of this war and continues to mislead Israelis by claiming its ability to prevent Iranian attacks.
