There is no chance “to achieve complete victory or [enable] complete destruction of Hamas,” Olmert told the regime’s broadcaster KAN on Saturday, referring to the Gaza-based resistance movement, which has been defending the coastal sliver in the face of the Israeli onslaught.

Olmert called the onslaught a “stalling war,” saying it “does not serve any interest for Israel, but rather serves Netanyahu and some extremist members of his government.”

The former official also said, “The military operation in Rafah must be stopped,” referring to a city in southern Gaza, which has become subject to an Israeli ground invasion, despite its being packed with the refugees that have fled there from the ravages of the war.

The comments came amid a standing order by the International Court of Justice on the regime to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide in Gaza.

The tribunal has also called on Tel Aviv to halt its military offensive against Rafah, and take measures to guarantee humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in the Palestinian territory, which is experiencing a simultaneous Israeli blockade.

The regime began waging the war against Gaza on October 7 in response to Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation staged by the territory’s resistance movements.

Nearly 36,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died as a result of the onslaught.

Despite the unabated campaign of bloodshed and destruction, the regime has so far fallen short of realizing its goals.

These include defeating Gaza’s resistance, enabling the liberation of those who were taken captive during the Al-Aqsa Storm, and causing forced displacement of Gaza’s entire population to neighboring Egypt.

AMK/PressTV