News - Middle East: Benjamin Netanyahu has traded barbs with his minister of military affairs, underscoring the deep internal rift that continues to plague the Israeli regime over its campaign of death, destruction and genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Yoav Gallant, the minister of military affairs, in remarks carried out by Israeli media, has dismissed as "nonsense" Netanyahu's war aim of total victory against the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

Netanyahu’s office on Monday put out a statement, rebuking Gallant.

“When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a captive deal,” the statement said.

It said Israel's war aim remained "total victory."

"This is the clear directive of Prime Minister Netanyahu," it said.

The latest exchange comes ahead of a last-ditch attempt to revive talks to halt the war in Gaza and bring back 115 Israeli captives held by Hamas. 

Hamas has said it will not send a delegation to the talks, accusing Netanyahu of wanting to waste time rather than make an honest attempt to reach a deal.

Israel recently admitted it has failed to completely understand the “spider web” of the underground tunnel network developed by the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Channel 12 in a report late July cited unnamed Israeli officials and officers saying that the tunnels have enabled Hamas to carry out “an organized defensive battle” against the regime's barbaric war machine.

One of the objectives of the regime’s barbarism in Gaza since October was the destruction of the labyrinthine structure.

Independent observers say Israel is the loser in its months-long campaign. They say Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas is “unrealistic.”

Source: Press TV