NY Times reports IDF pushing for ceasefire even if Hamas stays in power

Israel’s military leadership wants to see a ceasefire in Gaza even if it leaves Hamas ruling the Strip, The New York Times reports, citing six current and former security officials.

The generals believe that a permanent ceasefire is the best way to free the remaining hostages, and that the IDF needs to restock ahead of a potential war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the report. An end to the fighting in the south would also open the door for Hezbollah to hold its fire.

The report does not indicate how strenuously this position has been pushed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who promises to keep fighting until “total victory.”

In response, the IDF insists that it is “determined to keep fighting until it achieves the goals of the war — the destruction of Hamas’s military and governance capabilities, the return of our hostages, and the safe return of residents in the north and south to their homes.

“The IDF will continue fighting Hamas across the Gaza Strip,” the statement continues, “alongside continuing to improve our readiness for a war in the north, and defending all of our borders.”