‘You Can’t Beat Hamas’ Israeli Army Spokesman Says

CrossFireArabia
News
June 19, 2024

In what is seen as a slap in the face for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli army spokesman speaks out and out of turn! “You can’t beat Hamas,” he blurts out because of so many reasons.

💥Day 257 of the Gaza war: IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari says PM Netanyahu's war goal of "total destruction of Hamas" is the equivalent of "throwing sand in the public's eyes" and Netanyahu replies that he can drop dead. pic.twitter.com/ijoFMdGovi
— Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي (@NTarnopolsky) June 19, 2024

Promises to destroy Palestinian resistance group Hamas are “misleading,” Daniel Hagari said Wednesday as reported in Anadolu.

He said the goal of the “total destruction of Hamas” is like “throwing sand in the public’s eyes, a quote which is trending all over the social media.

On the 6th January Daniel Hagari, the spokesman for the IDF, declared: "We have completed the dismantling of Hamas' military framework in the northern Gaza strip"

Four months later the IDF is fighting in the northern Gaza strip. pic.twitter.com/kmVw0D7EUD
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) May 16, 2024

His comments come as a swipe against the country’s current political leadership who are determined to eradicate Hamas despite all odds and are continuing a genocidal war against the civilians of Gaza to attempt to do it.

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari rebukes Netanyahu and admits defeating Hamas is impossible:
"Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a political party. It is rooted in the hearts of people – whoever thinks we can eliminate Hamas is mistaken." https://t.co/xcFmPQ1AvK pic.twitter.com/tixwVRuFIV
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) June 19, 2024

“Anyone promising to eradicate Hamas is misleading the public,” Hagari told the broadcaster Channel 13 as reported in the Turkish news agency.

“Whoever thinks it is possible to destroy Hamas is mistaken,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 13 on Wednesday.

“Saying that it is possible to destroy Hamas and to make it disappear is to throw dust into the public’s eyes,” Hagari… pic.twitter.com/rbjgXluErE
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 19, 2024

In a frank tone, he said “Hamas is an idea. Those who think it can be made to disappear are wrong,” he said after having been daily reporting on the Israeli war on Gaza for the last eight months.

Hagari stressed if the government “doesn’t find an alternative — it (Hamas) will remain” in Gaza.

"Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a political party. It is rooted in the hearts of people – whoever thinks we can eliminate Hamas is mistaken.” (IDF Spokesman, Brig Gen Daniel Hagari)

We told you this 8 long months ago. Yes, 8 months ago.

Truly deplorable.https://t.co/QcoAXU3o9z
— Charlie Herbert (@Charlie533080) June 19, 2024

From the start of the war on Gaza after 7 October Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel’s key objective is to destroy Hamas and has not listened to anyone else who expressed scepticism about meeting this goal and which they say is not feasible.

⚠️ Israeli Army spokesman says Hamas can’t be destroyed

The Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari criticises Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calls for finding an alternative rather than deceiving the Israeli public by claiming the army can completely destroy Hamas.… pic.twitter.com/DJagjIkeRv
— DOAM (@doamuslims) June 19, 2024

Meanwhile Israeli society is breaking to pieces. The 120 or so hostages have not been released, the Israeli army is in a bad situation because of the real number of deaths, injured and those in need of psychological help, the economy is in tatters and many Israelis are leaving the country.

Hagari discussed the army’s announcement on June 8 about the release of four captives in a military operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. “It is not possible to release all hostages through military operations,” he acknowledged as reported by Anadolu.

More that 37,000 has been killed in Gaza through the Israeli bombings with over 85,000 being injured.

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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Palestinian Journalists Under Attack – 55 Israeli Violations in May

CrossFireArabia
June 9, 2026

The Palestinian Journalists Association (PJA) announced, Monday, it documented 55 violations by Israeli occupation soldiers against Palestinian journalists in last May. It described such violations are part of a systematic policy to restrict and prevent West Bank and Gaza journalists to carry out their professional duties.

The PJA’s Freedoms Committee said in a press statement to Quds Press the Israeli occupation continues its violations against journalists and media workers to limit their ability to report the truth and document attacks and violations against Palestinians.

The documented violations during May included two injuries from live ammunition while covering events in the field, two arbitrary arrests, and 30 cases of detention and prevention from working and covering events.

The committee also recorded five cases of direct gunfire directed at journalists, five attacks using tear gas and stun grenades, in addition to two cases of confiscation of journalistic equipment and two cases of physical assault on journalists.

The violations include two cases of journalists being barred from covering news at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, one of a media outlet being raided and shut down, another of a journalist being brought before a court and three cases of journalists summoned and interrogated.

The committee affirmed that these practices constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and international covenants on freedom of opinion and expression, which stipulate the protection of journalists while performing their professional duties in conflict zones.

It added that the escalating targeting of journalists reflects a systematic approach aimed at restricting media coverage and preventing the dissemination of information about the reality and violations suffered by the Palestinian people. The committee noted that the occupation continues to use various means to suppress media work and obstruct the public’s access to information.

The Committee for Freedoms called on international human rights and media organizations, as well as the United Nations, to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities, pressure the occupation authorities to cease their ongoing violations against Palestinian journalists, hold those responsible accountable, and provide the necessary protection for media workers.

The PJA announced last May it documented nearly 300 Israeli crimes, violations, and attacks against Palestinian journalists since the beginning of 2026 and the trend is set to continue judging from the scale of esclation against media workers.

The press association indicated at the time the number of journalists killed reached 262 since the outbreak of the war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, including 261 journalists murdered in the Gaza Strip, in addition to six journalists killed since the beginning of 2026.

This comes at a time when Israeli attacks against Palestinians continue in various areas, amid increasing complaints about the targeting of journalists, the obstruction of their work, and the prevention of their coverage of events on the ground and their reporting to the public.

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