With the onset of the war in the Gaza Strip, disagreements began to arise between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several ministers within his government, alongside clashes with the army and its leaders. The latest of these disagreements emerged last night during remarks by Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari. In an interview with Channel 13, Hagari stated that "Hamas as an idea and ideology cannot be eradicated." He suggested that saying "we will make Hamas disappear" is akin to throwing dust in people's eyes, adding that "if we do not find an alternative to it, Hamas will remain," clearly referencing Netanyahu, who has consistently rejected any military or ministerial attempts, or even proposals from the United States, to discuss the next phase after the war and the governance of the Palestinian territory.
In response, Netanyahu's office immediately rejected Hagari's statements, announcing that their assault on Gaza would not cease until Hamas is destroyed. Netanyahu's office stated, "The security cabinet, chaired by Netanyahu, has defined one of the goals of the war as destroying Hamas's military and governing capabilities." It also affirmed that "the Israeli army is committed to this."
Later, the army clarified in a separate statement posted on its Telegram channel that Hagari was speaking about Hamas "as an idea... and his statements were clear and explicit." They added, "Any other statements are taking the comment out of context."
Defense Minister Yoav Galant also openly called on the Prime Minister a few days ago for a clear strategy as the army returned to combat against Hamas militants in areas believed to have been cleared months ago. Galant's comments reflected growing concern within the security establishment over Netanyahu's lack of a vision regarding who will govern Gaza after the war. His remarks also highlighted the sharp divisions between the two former army generals and current government members from the centrist bloc, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, who supported Galant's call, and the radical right-wing nationalist religious parties led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who condemned the comments.
Notably, Gantz, leader of the centrist "National Unity" party, left the government coalition last week, followed by Eisenkot, due to these disagreements. It is worth mentioning that aside from dismantling Hamas and the return of about 130 captives still held by the movement, Netanyahu has not defined any clear strategic goal for ending the war in Gaza, which has resulted in over 37,000 Palestinian deaths and has led to increasing international isolation for Israel. He has also rejected any proposals concerning the administration of the devastated Palestinian territory following the war and who will govern it.
