The Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) admission that Hamas can't be destroyed appears to widen its rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is dead-set on eradicating the group.
IDF spokesman Adm. Daniel Hagari made this admission before Israeli TV on June 19. He disclosed: "The idea that we can destroy Hamas or make Hamas disappear is misleading to the public. What we can do is grow something different, something to replace it, [and] the politicians will decide [on that matter]."
Netanyahu's office pushed back on Hagari's comments, noting that the IDF is "committed" to the cause of eliminating Hamas – formally the Islamic Resistance Movement. It said: "The security cabinet headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu defined the destruction of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities as one of the goals of the war."
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), "the exchange was an illustration of months of tensions between Netanyahu and the country’s military leadership, who argue that Hamas could only be defeated if Israel replaces it with another governing authority in Gaza. The prime minister has said repeatedly that he won't accept an end to the war without the group's eradication as a military and governing power."
Retired IDF Gen. Israeli Ziv, a veteran of multiple wars, said tensions between the Israeli military and security establishment and Netanyahu are at a record high.
"[Both] the IDF … and the security echelon [feel] that we exhausted the purpose of the war. We reached the maximum tactical peak that we can achieve," he remarked. "As long as Rafah was there, they could say, 'Finish the job.' OK, it's finished now."
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The Operation Al-Aqsa Flood attack on Oct. 7, 2023 left about 1,200 people dead and 250 taken captive, according to Israeli authorities. Tel Aviv then launched an attack on the Gaza Strip soon after, killing more than 37,000 people – most of them civilians, according to Palestinian authorities.
Dispute between IDF and Bibi partly rooted in how Hamas defeat is defined
The WSJ pointed out that the dispute between the prime minister and the IDF centers, in part, on how officials define a defeat of Hamas. As of writing, the military had dismantled two of Hamas' four battalions in the southern city of Rafah and seized most of it. (Related: Benny Gantz RESIGNS from Netanyahu's war cabinet over failure to achieve "true victory" over Hamas.)
According to an Israeli military official, the IDF deems a battalion "dismantled" when its command structure and ability to carry out organized attacks are eliminated – not just simply when all its fighters are eliminated.
"We are getting close to finishing the job defined by the government," the military official said. "[But] we'll reach a point when we're just fighting guerrilla warfare, and that could take years."
According to military analysts, Hamas' militia forces are likely to survive the Israeli military operation even in Rafah. This is partly because the IDF's approach leaves many lower-ranking Hamas fighters in place. The group's top leadership in Rafah including Yahya Sinwar have also eluded Israeli forces throughout the war.
For his part, Netanyahu has rejected a series of proposals for possible alternatives to Hamas. These include a proposal from Washington to bring in the Palestinian National Authority, which governs the Occupied West Bank. Another proposal from the Arab world for a Palestinian unity government that would include Hamas has been taken off the table.
Ultimately, the WSJ pointed out that some military analysts have questioned whether installing a new government in the Gaza Strip was ever possible – given that Hamas has managed to survive the IDF's military assault.
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