Ex-Israeli army chief says any Gaza deal failing to dismantle Hamas would be ‘complete failure’

Former Israeli army chief and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said Friday that any agreement on Gaza that fails to dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capabilities would constitute a “complete failure” for the Israeli government, Anadolu reports.

Eisenkot’s remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump and the Board of Peace announced an agreement on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which Israel has yet to officially endorse.

In a post on the US social media platform X, Eisenkot questioned whether Israel had participated in negotiating the agreement.

“There are major question marks as to whether Israel was a partner to this agreement or whether it was once again imposed on it without its participation,” he wrote.

He criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to present Israelis with details of the agreement, saying any deal would ultimately be judged by whether it achieved Israel’s stated war objectives in Gaza.

“The test is whether Hamas’ military and governing capabilities are dismantled,” Eisenkot said. “Any outcome that does not achieve this objective is a complete failure.”

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He added that, aside from the return of Israeli hostages, the war’s objectives had not been achieved despite what he described as the military’s battlefield gains and the heavy price paid.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel’s objectives in the war are to secure the release of all hostages, dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, ensure Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel and establish a civilian administration in the enclave that excludes Hamas.

Eisenkot also claimed that, nearly three years after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Hamas had rebuilt its manpower and military capabilities, with the number of its fighters approaching pre-war levels.

Earlier Friday, Trump announced that an agreement had been reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, with Israeli forces set to withdraw in phases as the process moves forward. Trump also said Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye had helped broker what he described as a “historic breakthrough.”

READ: Hamas says Israel must halt attacks to advance Gaza ceasefire’s 2nd phase