Gadi Eizenkot (pictured) said: “Whoever speaks of absolute defeat is not telling the truth.” Photo: REUTERS
A member of Israel's war cabinet accused Benjamin Netanyahu of lying by claiming that Hamas could be defeated militarily.
In his first public statement on the progress of the war, Gadi Eizenkot, a former army commander, said: “Whoever speaks of absolute defeat is not telling the truth.
“This is why we shouldn’t tell stories,” he told Israeli television Channel 12. “Today the situation in the Gaza Strip is such that the goals of the war have not yet been achieved.”
“You must show leadership in the ability to tell people the truth, the ability to chart a path,” he said.
“ Hostages are returned alive only in case of a deal.”
Mr Eisenkot also suggested the Israelis were being misled by claims that military pressure would lead to the release of dozens of hostages still being held. in Gaza, declaring that only a ceasefire agreement will ensure their freedom.
“The hostages will only return alive if a deal is reached involving a significant pause in the fighting,” he told Israeli television Channel 12.
The claim that the hostages can be released by any other means , “means spreading the word that the hostages can be released in any other way.” illusions,” said Mr. Eizenkot, whose son was killed in Gaza in December.
Both Mr Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have said fighting will continue until Hamas is defeated and argue that only military action can win. release of hostages.
Dramatic rescue operations unlikely
Dramatic rescue operations, Mr. Eisenkot said, are unlikely because the hostages are dispersed and many remain hidden in Hamas' network of underground tunnels.
In a thinly veiled criticism of Mr Netanyahu, Mr Eisenkot also said these were strategic operations. decisions on the direction of the war must be made urgently, and discussions about the ending must begin immediately after the war begins.
Mr. Netanyahu ( pictured) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said fighting would continue until Hamas was defeated. Photo: AP Pool
He also rejected suggestions that the military had dealt a decisive blow to Hamas.
Mr Gallant said Israeli forces had crippled the Hamas command structure in northern Gaza, where a significant number of troops had been withdrawn earlier this week, and that the focus was now on the southern half of the territory.
“ We have not yet achieved the strategic achievement, or rather only partially,” Mr. Eizenkot said. “We have not overthrown Hamas.”
The militant group continues to fight throughout Gaza, even in the most devastated areas, and fires rockets at Israel.
'We need to get Israeli voters back to the polls'
Mr Eisenkot's interview aired hours after Netanyahu rejected the idea of holding elections in the middle of a war.
The former army chief said that elections must be held in the coming months to restore public confidence in their leaders.
“It is necessary to get the Israeli voter back to the polls within a few months and hold elections to renew trust, because right now there is no trust,” he said.
Mr Eisenkot said he is reviewing every day whether he should remain in the war cabinet, which includes Mr Netanyahu, Mr Gallant and Benny Gantz, the former defense minister and opposition leader.
Mr Eisenkot is a member of parliament for the opposition National Party. The Unity Alliance, led by Mr. Gantz. Both joined Netanyahu to help fight the war.
The latest sign of discord
“I know where my red line is,” Mr. Eisenkot said when asked at what point he would quit. “It has to do with hostages, that's one of the goals, but it also has to do with how we need to fight this war.”
Mr Eisenkot's comments were the latest sign of disagreement between political and military leaders over the direction Israel's offensive against Hamas, now in its fourth month.
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu reiterated his long-standing opposition to the two-state solution, saying a Palestinian state would be a launching pad for attacks on Israel.
Israel “must have security control over all territory west of the Jordan River,” Mr. Netanyahu said, adding: “This is contrary to the idea of sovereignty. What can we do?”
Washington also called for steps to create a Palestinian state. The Palestinians are seeking to establish their own state in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and east Jerusalem. These territories were captured by Israel in 1967.
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