Israeli Army: Impossible to Eliminate Hamas and Free Hostages Simultaneously
Israeli military tells political leaders that war objectives must be prioritized — either dismantle Hamas or secure hostage release.
Watan-Hebrew media reported that the Israeli army has informed the political leadership that it is impossible to eliminate Hamas and secure the release of the Israeli hostages it holds at the same time.
Army Radio said Monday that “the army told the political leadership that it is currently impossible to achieve both war goals simultaneously (eliminating Hamas and freeing the hostages), and that a decision must be made on which goal to prioritize first.”
The radio station explained that the military believes recovering the hostages should come first, without providing further details or stating whether the political leadership had responded.
Tel Aviv estimates that there are around 50 Israeli hostages in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, Israeli prisons hold more than 10,400 Palestinians subjected to torture, starvation, and medical neglect — conditions that have led to many deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights and media reports.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with U.S. backing, has carried out a campaign of genocide in Gaza involving killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring international appeals and International Court of Justice orders to stop.
This genocide has resulted in over 193,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, the majority of them women and children, along with more than 10,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced.
