Despite Israeli officials and former security leaders frequently suggesting that military operations in Rafah, Hamas's last stronghold in Gaza, are approaching their end, a U.S. official has stated the opposite. In comments to CBS News on Friday, he noted that "Israelis have not yet come close to achieving their goal of destroying Hamas." He added that "there are still hundreds of fighters and miles of unexplored tunnels, and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is still at large."
Furthermore, the official expressed the view that "in the absence of any Israeli plan for the day after the war in Gaza, the current strategy is a recipe for ongoing conflict." This statement followed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's call on Thursday, during a meeting with an Israeli delegation, to advance ceasefire negotiations and to look for a post-war plan in the Palestinian territory.
The issue of ceasefire and the search for a governing authority in Gaza after the conflict remains a key point of contention between the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S. administration. Netanyahu insists on completely eliminating Hamas before moving to the post-war phase, a stance that has also sparked disagreements with the military.
Just two days ago, Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari described discussions about ending Hamas as merely a way to "throw dust in the eyes," arguing that the movement is more of an idea and ideology. He emphasized that the only solution to end the movement is to find an alternative within Gaza, a stance that has drawn sharp criticism from Netanyahu towards the military.
