According to the Times of Israel website, the Israeli army reiterated that it is committed to achieving the goals of the war, which are manifested in dismantling Hamas and returning the hostages, adding that it will work to achieve them.
American officials believe that the Israeli army will not achieve further gains in the Gaza Strip, and that the only solution lies in striking a deal to recover the hostages, whether alive or dead.
They told the newspaper that the only way to free the hostages in Gaza is to reach an agreement with Hamas, stressing that the Israeli army is unable to completely eliminate the movement.
Officials said that “only an agreement, not military pressure, can secure the release of the hostages, who currently number 115 prisoners, whether alive or dead.”
They revealed that the Israeli attack against Hamas in Gaza achieved more than what American officials expected and reduced its capabilities, but did not mean eliminating it.
“Israel has been able to disrupt Hamas, kill a number of its leaders and greatly reduce the threat it posed before Oct. 7,” Gen. Joseph L. Votel, the former head of U.S. Central Command, told The New York Times. “Hamas has been diminished.”
“Hamas is largely depleted but not wiped out, and the Israelis may never achieve complete annihilation of the movement,” said Ralph Goff, a former CIA official who served in the Middle East.
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