Netanyahu was angered Israeli army spokesman: Hamas is an idea and cannot be destroyed

In an interview conducted with the Hebrew Channel 13 on Wednesday, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari criticized the political leadership in Tel Aviv, considering that its talk about destroying the Hamas movement “is like throwing sand in the eyes of the Israelis.”

Hagari added: "Hamas is an idea. You cannot destroy an idea. The political level must find an alternative to it, otherwise it will remain." Hagari touched on the Israeli army’s announcement on June 8 that 4 prisoners were released through a military operation in the Nuseirat Palestinian refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, saying: “It is not possible to release all the kidnapped people through military operations.”

Hagari also referred to the situation on Israel's northern border by saying: "We are prepared for any scenario against Hezbollah, and any military campaign against Lebanon will end with an agreement, and we are committed to returning the residents of the north to their homes safely." He commented on Hezbollah's publication of a video clip filmed by spy planes over Haifa Bay in northern Israel, and claimed that "intercepting the drone would have posed a danger to the residents of Haifa."

In response to Hagari’s statements, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The political and security ministerial council (cabinet), headed by the prime minister, identified the destruction of Hamas’ military and authoritarian capabilities as one of the goals of the war.” Netanyahu added, in a statement published by his office on his official account on the X platform: “The Israeli army is committed to this, of course.”

For its part, the Hebrew Channel 12 said that the statements of the army spokesman regarding the inability to eliminate Hamas angered Netanyahu, who demanded that the Office of the Chief of Staff provide clarification regarding his statements.

Since the beginning of the devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set "the destruction of Hamas" as one of the war's goals, although many Israeli military analysts and observers doubt the possibility of achieving this.