NYT: Israeli army leaders want cease-fire in Gaza, even with Hamas in power

IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi meeting with army leaders in Gaza, June 2024

Haaretz and Jonathan Lis report on 2 July 2024:

Top Israeli army generals are interested in a “cease-fire in Gaza even if it keeps Hamas in power for the time being,” according to the New York Times.

The report cites six current and former security officials, who believe a cease-fire would be beneficial for several Israeli objectives: releasing the Israeli hostages still held captive in Gaza, reaching a deal with Hezbollah to prevent a war on Israel’s border with Lebanon, and giving the forces time to recuperate in case a war with Hezbollah does break out.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the report by saying that Israel “will only end the war after we have achieved all of its goals.”

According to the report, the army’s stance “reflects a major shift in its thinking over the past months as it became more clear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was refusing to articulate or commit to a postwar plan.”

The report cites former Israeli national security adviser Eyal Hulata who says “the military is in full support of a hostage deal and cease-fire,” adding that “They understand that a pause in Gaza makes de-escalation more likely in Lebanon. And they have less munitions, less spare parts, less energy than they did before — so they also think a pause in Gaza gives us more time to prepare in case a bigger war does break out with Hezbollah.”

The New York Times states it is “unclear how directly the military leadership has expressed its views” to the prime minister.

In response to the report, the IDF issued a statement: “The military is pursuing the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, the return of the hostages, and the return of Israeli civilians from the south and the north safely to their homes.”

PM Netanyahu reacted to the article, saying “anonymous sources” told the New York Times that “Israel is ready to end the war before achieving all of its goals. I don’t know who those unnamed parties are, but I’m here to make it unequivocally clear: this will not happen. We will only end the war after we have achieved all of its goals, including the elimination of Hamas and the release of all our hostages.”

“The government defined these goals for the IDF, and the IDF has all the means to achieve them. We do not succumb to the spirit of defeatism, neither at the New York Times nor anywhere else. We are imbued with the spirit of victory,” Netanyahu said.

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