Eisenkot says 'Netanyahu harms war objectives' and 'Hamas is an idea'
The Israeli occupation's former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot explains that 'Israel' will be fighting against the idea of Hamas for a long time.
Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), cited former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot saying, "Hamas is an idea that Israel will fight for many years to come."
According to Eisenkot, "It is not possible to promise a near victory over Hamas and then blame the army for not achieving it."
The Israeli occupation's former chief of staff then continued saying, "The goal of the war is not to completely eliminate Hamas, but to destroy its military and governmental capabilities," adding that "Netanyahu harms the war objectives by not allowing Gallant to proceed with post-war plans."
A few days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked Israeli army leaders and resigned cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot during a government meeting.
Channel 12 quoted Netanyahu saying that "the resigning members [referring to Gantz and Eisenkot] want to change the war's objectives through defeatist decisions, leaving Hamas as it is. This is unacceptable."
Channel 13 reported that Netanyahu attacked army leaders in a government meeting, stating, "Israel is a state with an army, not an army with a state," adding, "To achieve the goal of eliminating Hamas's capabilities, decisions were made that were not always accepted by the army."
Netanyahu says ready to stomach personal attacks so 'Israel' gets arms
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday his readiness to endure personal criticism if it ensures that the Israeli occupation receives the necessary ammunition from the United States to sustain the genocide in Gaza.
This statement comes after a contentious week marked by a video Netanyahu posted on social media on Tuesday, where he accused the US of withholding military support.
Speaking in English, Netanyahu claimed in the video that it was "inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition from Israel."
Publicly, the White House expressed bafflement. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pointed out that only one weapons shipment had been paused since the war began, while billions of dollars worth of weapons had continued to flow unimpeded.
"We genuinely do not know what he is talking about," she said.
"I am willing to absorb personal attacks if that is what it takes for Israel to get the arms and ammunition it needs in its war for survival," Netanyahu was quoted as saying by his office on X.
Biden's team has been furious and shocked by Netanyahu's ingratitude. Some US officials who viewed the video said Netanyahu appeared "disturbed."
The video was published while President Biden's envoy, Amos Hochstein, was traveling between occupied al-Quds and Beirut to ease tensions on the northern front. Hochstein was scheduled to meet Netanyahu on Tuesday evening to brief him on discussions with Lebanese officials and explore ways to avoid war.
According to three sources familiar with the matter, the meeting between Hochstein and Netanyahu was "tense". Hochstein and the US Ambassador to the Israeli occupation reportedly spent a significant portion of the meeting delivering a stern message to Netanyahu about the crisis he had provoked.
All US officials involved expressed confusion about Netanyahu's objectives, aside from scoring domestic political points. Some speculated that Netanyahu's remarks might be part of a credibility contest with Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant, who is expected to visit Washington next week.
The diplomatic strain escalated further as the White House reportedly canceled a high-level meeting between US and Israeli officials scheduled for Thursday, in response to Netanyahu's video address.
The tension over military aid is not new. In May, the US paused a shipment of heavy bombs to the Israeli occupation, citing concerns about their use in densely populated areas such as the city of Rafah. However, the White House clarified on Tuesday that there were no additional pauses in place.