The Israeli army told the government: The two goals of the war on Gaza cannot be achieved simultaneously.

The Israeli military informed the government that there is currently a clash between Israel's two goals in the war: returning prisoners held in the Gaza Strip and eliminating Hamas. The military called for "returning the kidnapped soldiers first, without compromising on eliminating Hamas," Israeli Army Radio reported Monday.

The radio added that the Israeli army presented a "clear" position to the political echelon during deliberations held in recent days, stating that "it is not currently possible to achieve both goals simultaneously, and what is required is to work in turn (gradually). In accordance with our moral vision, the return of the kidnapped soldiers must come first, and then continue to bring about the collapse of Hamas."

Contrary to statements attributed to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir that "Hamas is a dead organization," the Israeli military believes that Hamas has not yet been defeated, but "this goal cannot be relinquished for the sake of war. Eliminating Hamas is essential, but the timetable for the operation must be chosen, and the kidnapped soldiers must be returned first," according to the radio.

Zamir presented to the political echelon three possible alternatives to the continuation of the war on Gaza. The first and preferred alternative is a ceasefire and prisoner exchange; the second is a full occupation of the Strip; and the third is other military operations that do not require Israeli forces to penetrate city centers and locations where Israeli prisoners are suspected to be held.

In these discussions, the Israeli military claimed that of the 14 Hamas leaders present in the Gaza Strip at the start of the war and believed to have planned and led the October 7 attacks, ten were killed, leaving four leaders still in Gaza.