Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz on Friday attempted to bring calm over a scathing State Comptroller’s report concerning the 2014 Gaza war, in which he is said to be blasted for a lack of leadership. 

“We need to do this calmly and responsibly – there’s no need to be dragged into the headlines,” Gantz stated. “I regret that a draft of the report reached the media before [it reached] the relevant officials.” 

Among other things, the report describes an incident on the first day of the operation, when a Hamas terrorist tunnel was detected near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, and Gantz assured the Cabinet that Hamas does not intend to carry out attacks using tunnels. Shortly after those comments, the report alleges, four different attacks from four different Hamas tunnels were carried out.

It also details several lapses of leadership by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, including their omitting the existence of terror tunnels until fighting actually begin. 

Former ministers have lashed out at both the premier and Ya’alon after news leaked of the report, and have said that the document proves the government is incapable of handling Hamas terror.