Hamas Remaining in Power and Ceasefire Demand: Israeli Army’s Requests Anger Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the idea of initiating a ceasefire in Gaza while Hamas remains in power, following an article in the American newspaper “The New York Times” quoting six current and former security officials saying, “A ceasefire would give the Israeli military time to prepare for a potential attack and ground war with Hezbollah,” according to CNN.
Netanyahu‘s Anger
The officials, who spoke mostly on condition of anonymity “to discuss sensitive security issues,” said the ceasefire would be the most effective way to secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Former Israeli National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata, who maintains regular contacts with “senior military officials” according to the Times, officially stated, “The army fully supports a hostage deal and ceasefire. They believe they can achieve it. Come back today and engage militarily with Hamas in the future.”
Facing the scenario of “war forever,” four of the officials interviewed by the Times agreed with Hulata that “keeping Hamas in power currently in exchange for hostage release seems to be the lesser evil for Israel.”
But Netanyahu said – in a statement – “I do not know who these anonymous sources are, but I am here to unequivocally clarify, this will not happen, the war will end when Israel achieves all its objectives, including the destruction of Hamas and the release of all our hostages.”
And he added, “The government has directed the Israeli Defense Forces to achieve these war objectives and the IDF has all the means to achieve them. We will not succumb to defeatism, not in the New York Times nor anywhere else, we draw inspiration from the spirit of victory.”
Israeli Army‘s Confusion
The American network confirmed that the report was released while the situation in northern Israel remains extremely tense, with the Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah intensifying cross-border attacks, threatening to escalate into a large-scale war.
Hulata told the newspaper, “The Israeli army knows that stopping in Gaza makes de-escalation more likely in Lebanon.”
He was quoted saying, “The army has fewer ammunition, spare parts, and less energy than before; so, they also believe that a temporary halt in Gaza will give them more time to prepare in case of a larger war with Hezbollah.“
When asked by the Times if he supported a ceasefire, the Israeli army issued a statement that did not directly answer the question.
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He added, “The Israeli army is determined to continue the fight to achieve war objectives of destroying Hamas‘s military and governmental capabilities, safely bringing residents of the north and south back to their homes.”
And he added, “So far, significant progress has been made during combat in Gaza, and the Israeli army will continue to fight Hamas everywhere in the Gaza Strip, while also enhancing war preparedness in the north and defense efforts on all borders.”
