Israeli Author Suggests Dialogue with Hamas Instead of Continued Calls for Destruction

Israeli author Gideon Levy believes that continuously speaking about destroying Hamas, after three years of war, essentially means calling for the resumption of battles in the Gaza Strip.

According to Levy, large-scale military operations have not succeeded in eradicating Hamas. Instead, the war has caused massive destruction, significant loss of life, and has further increased Israel’s international isolation.

In his article published in the Haaretz newspaper on Thursday (1/10/2026), Levy criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as several political figures including Israel Katz, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, and Avigdor Lieberman.

He also criticised Gadi Eisenkot after the latter included the elimination of Hamas as one of the conditions for forming a governing partnership.

Levy argues that the experience during the war demonstrates the limitations of Israel’s military power. Hamas remains resilient despite Gaza undergoing large-scale bombing and ground operations.

In his view, any attempt to completely eradicate Hamas could only be achieved by continuing the destruction of Gaza. Levy assesses that while Hamas persists, the group’s strength has been significantly weakened. Therefore, he suggests that the existence of Hamas does not necessarily have to be met with a new large-scale war.