AL QUDS, Aug 24: Israel’s embattled army chief Dan Halutz admitted for the first time on Thursday to failings during the Lebanon war amid increasing public discontent over how the 34-day offensive was handled.

“Parallel with our success, during combat we observed failures in certain areas, notably in the areas of logistics, operations and command,” Halutz wrote in a letter to the army, having so far resisted calls for his resignation.

The general, who has also been slammed for selling shares just before the offensive began, said the mistakes needed to be examined but stopped short of calling for a state commission, the most sweeping type of inquiry.

“We have to proceed to a meaningful examination of the successes and the errors. We have to extract professional lessons, as we are faced with more challenges... This test concerns us all, from me down to the last soldier.”

Israel’s assault – waged by the most powerful army in the Middle East – failed to achieve its stated aims of stopping rocket attacks by Hezbollah or freeing two soldiers captured by the group on July 12.

The war estimated to have cost Israel 5.7 billion dollars and the army lost 121 soldiers. Forty-one civilians were also killed by more than 4,000 Hezbollah rocket attacks.

Against rising media pressure and public discontent, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is set to decide within days whether to back a state commission on inquiry into the war, which could spell serious trouble for his government.—AFP