Tel Aviv [Israel], June 20: An Israeli military spokesman said on June 19 that Hamas could not be eliminated, causing the country's government to react immediately.
"Saying that we will make Hamas disappear is misleading the people...Hamas is an ideology, we cannot eliminate an ideology," Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari told Israel's Channel 13, according to AFP.
Mr. Hagari also warned that "if the government does not find an alternative - [Hamas] will remain" in the Gaza Strip .
Mr. Hagari's above statement was immediately rejected by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The political and security cabinet headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu has determined that one of the goals of the war is to destroy the military and administrative capabilities of Hamas. The IDF is of course committed to this."
In a separate statement on its Telegram channel, the IDF clarified that Mr. Hagari viewed Hamas "as an ideology... and his statements are clear. Any other interpretation puts the statement at risk." That statement is out of context".
Over the past eight months, the IDF has been unable to dislodge Hamas members from Gaza but has caused widespread destruction in the territory, according to Reuters.
The Gaza Health Authority says that Israel's retaliatory strike to eliminate Hamas has killed at least 37,396 people in Gaza, mostly civilians.
Israel launched a retaliatory attack after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack left 1,194 people in Israel dead, mostly civilians, and 251 taken hostage, according to an AFP tally based on official figures from Israel. There are still 116 hostages being held in Gaza, and the Israeli military says 41 hostages are dead.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper