Israel army spokesman says Hamas can’t be eliminated
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Comments on June 19 by Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari (left) were quickly rebutted by the Israeli Prime Minister's office.
PHOTO: AFP
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JERUSALEM – Israel’s top army spokesman said on June 19 that Hamas cannot be eliminated, prompting a knee-jerk reaction from the government which quickly reiterated that it remains committed to the Palestinian militant group’s destruction.
More than eight months of war, sparked by Hamas’ unprecedented Oct 7 attack
“To say that we are going to make Hamas disappear is to throw sand in people’s eyes. If we don’t provide an alternative, in the end, we will have Hamas,” Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari told Israel’s Channel 13 broadcaster.
“Hamas is an ideology, we cannot eliminate an ideology.”
His comments were quickly rebutted by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Cabinet has stated its Gaza offensive will not end until Hamas is defeated.
“The political and security Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu defined as one of the goals of the war the destruction of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities,” his office said, in a statement.
“The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is of course committed to this.”
In a separate statement on its Telegram channel, the military clarified that Rear-Adm Hagari had addressed Hamas “as an ideology... and his statements were clear and explicit”.
“Any other claim is taking the statement out of context.”
The Oct 7 attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
The militants also seized 251 hostages. Of these, 116 remain in Gaza, although the army says 41 are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive aimed at eliminating Hamas has killed at least 37,396 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s Health Ministry. AFP
