Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told the families of Israeli captives that there is no justification for the military's continued presence in Gaza, Israel's Channel 12 reported on Thursday.
Gallant, who was abruptly sacked as defence minister by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only two days prior, had disagreed with the premier over Israel's war strategy.
"There’s nothing left in Gaza to do. The major achievements have been achieved," Gallant was quoted by Channel 12 as saying.
Gallant reportedly expressed concern that soldiers were made to remain in Gaza purely "out of a desire to stay there".
He dismissed the notion of maintaining a presence in Gaza for stability, calling it "an inappropriate idea to risk soldiers’ lives over".
Gallant further claimed that the heads of Israel’s Shin Bet, Chief of Staff, and possibly Mossad shared his view.
He reportedly noted that he had advised Netanyahu as early as July that conditions were favourable for a negotiated agreement, a suggestion that has been at odds with Netanyahu’s approach ever since.
The former defence chief also disclosed that he and Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi were skeptical of any security or diplomatic justifications for keeping troops in Gaza.
Addressing potential plans for post-war Gaza, Gallant reportedly told the families: "It would be bad for Israel to rule Gaza."
He proposed establishing a governing body "that is neither Hamas nor Israel" to prevent a high long-term cost for Israel.
"If this doesn’t happen,” he warned, "the process will continue".
Additionally, Israeli newspaper Haaretz cited sources who said that Gallant reiterated his view that Israel had achieved all military objectives in Gaza.
The publication noted that Netanyahu’s considerations regarding hostages are "neither military nor political", likely hinting at long-standing speculation that the Israeli leader is prolonging the war for personal reasons.
Gallant stated that only Netanyahu has the authority to decide on a potential hostage exchange deal involving the release of Israeli captives by Hamas in return for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and a ceasefire.
His remarks come amid repeated unsuccessful efforts over the past year by the US, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Observers warn that US President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory could introduce further uncertainty into the already fragile peace efforts.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
In the same period, Israeli strikes on Lebanon have claimed over 3,000 lives, with the majority occurring in the past six weeks.