Israel Can Defeat Hamas or Save Hostages but Not Both: Military Officials

• High Israeli army officers say defeating Hamas may come at the price of the lives of hostages.
• Some officers advised NYT they do not assume Israel’s two targets are each possible.
• Households of hostages say the return of their family members ought to take priority over erasing Hamas.

Excessive-ranking Israeli army officers are more and more involved that if Israel has any hope of defeating Hamas, it might have to take action at the price of the lives of remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, The New York Occasions reported.

The Occasions reported that some Israeli commanders are apprehensive the nation’s twin targets of destroying Hamas and releasing the hostages usually are not each possible.

As an alternative, The Occasions reported, some Israeli army officers imagine that Israel might have to make use of diplomatic channels — versus army technique — to recuperate the hostages from Gaza.

Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas after the militant group in October carried out the worst terrorist assault on Israeli soil within the nation’s historical past, killing almost 1,200 folks and taking greater than 200 civilians hostage.

The Israeli armed forces have carried out a brutal and sustained floor invasion throughout the Gaza Strip within the months since, however The Occasions reported that they’ve made much less progress than they hoped for.

Hamas has confirmed harder to erase than initially anticipated, partially as a result of the group operates an unlimited community of underground tunnels and infrastructure and is backed, each financially and militarily, by Iran.

The Israel Protection Forces have taken out many Hamas militants and commanders since launching their counterassault final yr. However as of December, three of its prime leaders stay at giant, together with Mohammed Deif, the top of Hamas’ army wing who masterminded the October 7 assaults.

Along with Israeli army sources interviewed by The Occasions, European officers have additionally criticized Israel’s army technique and urged it to rethink participating in peace talks.

Their considerations are echoed by the households of hostages nonetheless believed to be alive, who say the secure return of their family members ought to take priority over destroying Hamas.

The Hamas-run Gaza Well being Ministry mentioned over the weekend that 25,105 Gazans have died because the conflict began, and 62,681 have been wounded.