Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the defense system in light of reports that its senior officials support a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the return of some hostages while arguing that it will not allow Hamas to recover significantly.

"Just as on October 6, all the heads of the defense system think the same way. There is no diversity of thought, no conceptual challenge. They are once again leading us to the same circular thinking," said Smotrich.

He added, "All the heads of the defense system promised us that Hamas was deterred, that the disengagement would bring security, that Oslo would bring peace, and that we would know how to deal with the Shalit deal."

"They are making a huge mistake again now, and above all, they fully admit that the discussed deal abandons most of the hostages and leaves them in Gaza after six weeks, during which only some of the hostages in the humanitarian category will be released," said Smotrich.

Earlier, Kan reported that senior defense officials had formed a firm position that "the IDF could fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip for six weeks – provided a new agreement for the release of hostages is signed."

According to the report, defense officials estimate that such a short period will not allow Hamas to recover critically in terms of new weapon systems or building and repairing tunnels. The message conveyed to Prime Minister Netanyahu was: "We are aware of the security implications, but now is the time to prioritize the release of the hostages whose time is increasingly short."