A diplomatic official on Sunday evening criticized remarks made by IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a statement to the media after Israel's preemptive strike against Hezbollah.

"The choice of the IDF Spokesperson to mention in his statement this evening only one goal of the war - while ignoring the rest of the goals of the war - is in complete contradiction to the definitions and directives of the political echelon," the source charged.

The source clarified that "the goals of the war were and remain the return of our hostages, the destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, ensuring that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel, and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes."

The criticism by the diplomatic official came after Hagari said in his statement on Sunday evening, "We remain committed to one central war objective - the return of the 109 hostages, and we will continue to make every effort to achieve this.”

Hagari responded to the criticism and said, "In my statement this evening, I said that 'we remain committed to one central war objective, the return of the hostages.' It goes without saying that the return of the hostages is an ultimate goal, but it is not the only goal of the war. At the same press conference, I also commented on the destruction of the military wing of Hamas, which is also one of the goals of the war. The IDF works day and night to achieve the goals of the war - all of them."