According to @clashreport, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on the Gaza issue that the people of Gaza are educated to hate Israel, so their hope must be cut off. He argued that Israel should occupy the territory, maintain the status quo in Gaza, and gradually encourage the local population to leave.
On October 18, 2026, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly stated that Israel has achieved its stated objectives in the Gaza Strip, and said that 70% to 80% of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed. Katz also noted that southern Lebanon is in the same situation, meaning that most of the area has been destroyed.
On October 16, 2026, Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, delivered a speech in the parliament in which he publicly denied that Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip constitute genocide. He called the related allegations "despicable lies" and stressed that everyone present knew the truth. The remarks were intended to respond to international criticism and legal accusations regarding Israel's military operations.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has publicly stated that Hamas's strength in Gaza is growing, with approximately 27,000 armed personnel currently. Bennett pointed out that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are facing a severe manpower shortage, with a gap of 20,000 combat soldiers, and the military is in urgent need of reinforcements to address the situation.
On October 13, 2026, former Israeli Chief of the General Staff Gadi Eisenkot publicly stated that the precise objective of the Gaza war should have been to destroy Hamas's military and governing power within a year, and that the "total victory" added by Netanyahu was a mistake, noting that the last time a total victory was achieved dates back to 1945.
US Presidential Special Envoy Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Herzog on August 17 to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and disarmament issues.
US President Donald Trump announced that a peace committee has reached a historic agreement to push for the complete disarmament of armed groups in Gaza and an Israeli withdrawal.