"The strategic goal of the Gaza operation needs to be freeing the Gaza Strip from all presence of the Hamas organization," Cohen told Israel Hayom. "A civilian Hamas organization, a military Hamas organization - we don't need to differentiate between them, all of them need to cease existing."
He added that this goal is indeed realistic, explaining, "It isn't simple to achieve, since we are discussing a very asymmetrical war. We act according to the laws of war with regards to all those who are uninvolved, and we, as always, act to harm only terrorists. But the area is complicated, since Hamas is present within a civilian population and it forces them to act according to its wishes. There is no question that the challenge for our forces will be great, but I know that the IDF is prepared for it, capable of it, even though it is not a simple task."
When asked about the Israeli civilians held hostage in Gaza, Cohen said, "We are not speaking directly with Hamas - we did not do that even once - but at the same time various middlemen are certainly busy with negotiations for their release. These are negotiations which I know are ongoing, while they are still speaking. Even Hamas has interests and compensations which it is expected to request, which I am not involved with, but I think that the absolute Israeli demand needs to be the immediate return of all of the hostages, unconditionally, to the State of Israel's territory." READ MORE