Former IDF Chief of Staff, retired Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, said that Israel had insufficient intelligence to retrieve Gilad Shalit following his capture by Hamas four and a half years ago.

Mr Halutz, who gave a lecture in Beersheva on Shabbat, is trying to rebrand his image in attempt to win political office. The former general resigned four years ago following the Second Lebanon War and is widely seen by the Israeli public as one of those responsible for the less than spectacular results of Israel's war against Hizbollah.

The IDF's chief at the time of Shalit's capture said: "If we could have done something immediately after his capture, we would have, but we didn't have the intelligence then.

"I thought after the capture that we should strike Hamas hard until they released Gilad but there was no authorisation to do so from the political leaders."

Mr Halutz joined Kadima two months ago and is expected to try for a spot on their Knesset candidate list in the next elections. "My life is not just about the Second Lebanon War," he said.