Reportedly, Al Jazeera is covering the story externally due to a ban imposed by Israel.

Israel's military spokesman has unveiled a growing divide between the nation's political leaders and the army. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal of eliminating Hamas in Gaza to conclude the war.

After nine months of conflict that resulted in over 37,000 Palestinian casualties in the attempt to dismantle the ruling armed group in Gaza, Hagari told Israel’s Channel 13 broadcaster on Wednesday that eradicating Hamas was not feasible.

“The notion of destroying Hamas or making it vanish is just deceiving the public,” he said. “Hamas is an idea, a movement. It is deeply ingrained in the hearts of many – anyone who thinks we can completely eliminate Hamas is mistaken.”

From Amman, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reported that Netanyahu’s office was infuriated by Hagari’s comments.

“This highlights the difference between Netanyahu’s strategies in this war and the ground reality according to the army,” she mentioned.

Netanyahu’s office countered by affirming that the security cabinet, led by the prime minister, has set the goal of crippling Hamas’ military and governance capabilities. As expected, the Israeli military is dedicated to this goal.

The military quickly clarified, emphasizing its commitment to the war's objectives as defined by the cabinet, which it continues to work toward relentlessly.

Hagari’s comments, the military said, referred to the eradication of Hamas as an ideology and were clearly stated as such. Any other interpretation is misrepresenting his remarks.

Akiva Eldar, an Israeli political analyst, remarked that Hagari has challenged Netanyahu’s belief that Hamas can be conclusively defeated.

“For the first time in years, there is ongoing tension between Netanyahu's government and his media supporters. Hagari’s statements undermine Netanyahu’s strategy by arguing it is unrealistic,” Eldar conveyed to Al Jazeera.

“Essentially, Hagari is directly disputing Netanyahu’s policies,” Eldar added.

Previous signs of discontent

There have already been visible signs of dissatisfaction with how Netanyahu’s administration has managed the war. His coalition includes right-wing hardliners opposed to any form of settlement with Hamas.

Months of internationally mediated ceasefire discussions, including a proposal by U.S. President Joe Biden this month, have not progressed.

Benny Gantz, a former military chief turned centrist politician, left Netanyahu’s war cabinet earlier this month due to his frustration with the prime minister’s handling of the conflict.

This week, Netanyahu also expressed his displeasure with the army's decision to implement a “tactical pause” in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Netanyahu’s aide mentioned that the prime minister was surprised by the announcement, with Israeli TV stations quoting Netanyahu saying, “We have a country with an army, not an army with a country.”