IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari cast Israel’s war aim of eradicating the Hamas terror group as unattainable, appearing to underscore tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top defense officials over his handling of the war in Gaza, writes The Times of Israel.

“This business of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear - it’s simply throwing sand in the eyes of the public. Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people — anyone who thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong”, - Hagari told Channel 13 news.

He also warned that “if the government doesn’t find an alternative — [Hamas] will remain” in the Gaza Strip.

In response, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the security cabinet “has defined as one of the war goals the destruction of Hamas’s military and governance capabilities”: “The Israel Defense Forces is of course committed to this”.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit subsequently issued a statement saying the military was committed to the government’s stated war goals, including destroying Hamas’s governing and military abilities, adding that Hagari had talked in the interview about “eradicating Hamas as an ideology and an idea”.

“Any claim otherwise is taking the remarks out of context”, - the IDF added.