Israel’s goals of freeing Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip and destroying Hamas at the same time are incompatible, according to some senior IDF commanders. This was reported by the New York Times, which spoke to four anonymous high-ranking leaders.

Disappointing progress in the war against Hamas convinced military leaders that the hostages must be released through diplomatic means. At this point in the war, the Israeli military controls a smaller portion of the Gaza Strip than it originally envisioned, the New York Times reported, based on battle plans from the beginning of the war seen by the newspaper. Moreover, Israel is also under pressure from allies such as the United States to end the war quickly.

Earlier this week, Israeli Defense Cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot said it was an “illusion” to believe the hostages could be released without a ceasefire. According to Eisenkot, “total victory” over Hamas is unlikely. In doing so, he revealed a rift within the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others, has repeatedly said that ending the war will only be possible if Hamas is completely eliminated.

Protests also took place today at Netanyahu’s house. The demonstrators, including family members of the hostages, demand that the Prime Minister make more efforts to release the hostages. Today, Israeli occupation aircraft continued to distribute leaflets in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. They call on the Palestinians to help find the hostages held by Hamas.

In response to the New York Times revelations, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would lead “the war against Hamas with unprecedented results and in a very decisive way.” The Israeli army refused to comment.

Tom Kanters

Read also Former Israeli correspondent Monique van Hoogstraten’s analysis of Netanyahu’s plan to destroy Hamas