The Israeli Military acknowledges that eradicating Hamas from Gaza is a “mission unattainable”

Israeli Military spokesman Daniel Hagari acknowledged final evening in an interview with an Israeli information channel that eradicating Hamas from the Gaza Strip is an unattainable mission, and that the Islamists will stay in it if another shouldn’t be discovered. authorities.

“This enterprise of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear, is solely deceptive the general public,” Hagari mentioned within the interview, eight and a half months following the beginning of the battle within the Palestinian enclave.

“Hamas is an concept, Hamas is a celebration. It’s rooted within the hearts of the folks; “Whoever thinks we are able to eradicate Hamas is incorrect,” he continued.

A Palestinian flag flies among the many rubble attributable to an Israeli airstrike within the al-Bureij refugee camp within the southern Gaza Strip.

Anger in Netanyahu’s authorities

His phrases unleashed the anger of the Workplace of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which in a press release recalled that “one of many goals of the battle (is) the destruction of the army and authorities capabilities of Hamas.”

“The Israel Protection Forces, following all, are dedicated to this,” provides the assertion, which evokes the necessity for an “absolute victory” so usually repeated by Netanyahu all through this battle, through which extra have already died. of 37,400 Gazans.

In flip, the Military responded to Netanyahu in one other assertion that its forces have been working “day and evening” for the reason that begin of the battle to attain these goals and that they’ll proceed to take action.

“The commanders and their servants struggle with dedication and persistence to destroy the army capabilities and governmental and organizational infrastructure of Hamas in Gaza, a transparent army goal,” the spokesperson mentioned.

Israeli Military spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed the media a Hamas tunnel found contained in the Gaza Strip, in an archive picture.

“In his phrases, the spokesperson (Hagari) referred to the destruction of Hamas as an ideology and an concept, and he mentioned it clearly and explicitly. Another assertion takes issues out of context,” the army be aware clarified.

Growing friction

Right this moment is at the least the third episode of friction in current weeks between the army and Netanyahu.

Already final month, Hagari hinted that the battle mightn’t be gained, and that the Military must consistently return to beforehand cleared areas, within the absence of a post-war plan.

“There is no such thing as a doubt {that a} authorities various to Hamas will create stress on the group, however that may be a query that corresponds to the political stage,” Hagari lamented on the time.

A couple of days in the past, the Military introduced the cessation of hostilities for eleven hours a day on a stretch of highway in southern Gaza, so as to facilitate the entry of humanitarian assist.

Shortly following, Netanyahu referred to as this partial pause “inconceivable” and introduced in a press release that it might not have an effect on the preventing in Rafah.

“To attain the aim of destroying the capabilities of Hamas, I’ve needed to make selections that aren’t at all times accepted by the army leaders,” Netanyahu mentioned on this regard in the course of the cupboard assembly final Sunday.

The US believes that solely regarding 50 hostages are nonetheless alive

The reality is that the Israeli operation in Gaza is going through extra inside opposition daily. Protesters in opposition to the Authorities of Benjamin Netanyahu, who’re calling for early elections and the discharge of the hostages nonetheless held by Hamas, this morning blocked a number of highways in Israel, in anticipation of the protests referred to as tonight in entrance of the prime minister’s residences. in Caesarea and Jerusalem.

In line with US officers, solely regarding 50 hostages of the roughly 250 that Hamas kidnapped in Israel final October 7 are nonetheless alive.

The information was provided by mediators within the talks concerning the hostages and by a US official acquainted with intelligence info, in response to The Wall Avenue Journal on Thursday.

The newspaper recollects that, of the roughly 250 kidnapped within the Hamas-led assault on Israeli territory, 116 stay captive, however this determine contains these believed to be lifeless.

Israel has formally confirmed that of these 116 kidnapped, 43 are lifeless.

Israeli hostage Andrey Kozlov (c) upon his arrival in Tel Aviv on June 8 following being rescued by Israeli Particular Forces together with 3 different folks.

For the reason that begin of the battle in Gaza, the Israeli Military rescued seven hostages alive and one other 109 have been launched for humanitarian causes or exchanged for Palestinian prisoners throughout final November’s truce.

Along with these kidnapped, some 1,200 folks died within the October 7 assaults. These assaults triggered an Israeli offensive that has already claimed the lives of 37,431 Palestinians, 35 in the previous few hours.

Jerusalem / EFE