Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing increased scrutiny from one of the country’s leading military figures over the Netanyahu government’s failure to produce a postwar plan for Gaza.

On Wednesday, Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces, publicly stated that “the idea that we can destroy Hamas or make Hamas disappear is misleading to the public.” This announcement stands in direct contradiction to the stated war aims of Netanyahu; notably his vocal support for the destruction of Hamas.

Hagari added that it “is throwing sand in the eyes of the public” to insist that Hamas can be destroyed, and that if Israel does not put forward a coherent postwar vision for Gaza, then Hamas will reappear.

In response to the military’s statement, Netanyahu’s office reiterated its war aims including the destruction of Hamas’s “military and governmental capacities.” 

The now-open feud between the Netanyahu government and the IDF has been simmering for months. The Israeli army relies on the mobilization of reservists, and months of engagement in Gaza have left many of them exhausted, and the Israeli military feels that a respite from fighting is necessary in case the situation with Hezbollah escalates.