Ex-Israel officials: Defeating Hamas no longer an option

Former Israeli officers and officials said Israel cannot achieve victory over Hamas in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the only available option is to accept a prisoner exchange deal whose terms are set by Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in the enclave.

Israeli Channel 12 quoted Major General (Reserve) Yitzhak Brik as saying that despite the destruction of 1,100 tunnel openings, there are thousands of additional tunnels and hundreds of kilometres of them, and if this dilemma is not resolved, victory over Hamas will not be achieved.

Asked if controlling the borders and the Philadelphi Axis would lead to victory in the war, Brik said: “The war cannot be won… We must face the truth… In my opinion, It is very difficult today to undermine Hamas, and the easiest thing is to recover those kidnapped.”

The Philadelphi Axis, also known as the Salah Al-Din Axis, refers to a strip of land along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the Hebrew channel Kan 11 quoted former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo as confirming that Israel has no option but to accept a prisoner exchange deal, with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar setting the terms and date for releasing the prisoners.

Israel officer: ‘Hamas cannot be eliminated, neither now nor in the future’

He warned that Israel must correct the state’s terrible mistake of abandoning its citizens and betraying them. “If the government and its prime minister decide to abandon the kidnapped people, let him say it publicly in front of the public,” he added.

Elior Levy, Palestinian and Arab affairs correspondent at Kan 11, said Israel is diving into the Gaza mud similar to the Americans diving into the Iraqi mud, which signals the beginning of a war of attrition in the Gaza Strip.

Amirav Spersky, the sister of a prisoner who was killed in Gaza has accused the government of lying to them, abandoning their families and sacrificing them, noting that she means specific people in the government who insist on continuing the war.