ANKARA

An Israeli journalist has suggested that the army should have killed 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza, where it launched air and ground attacks after the Oct. 7 incursion by Hamas, claiming it could have led to a cease-fire and release of hostages much earlier.

Zvi Yehezkeli, speaking to Tel Aviv-based Channel 13 on Tuesday, said: "In my opinion, the IDF should have launched a more fatal attack, with 100,000 killed in the beginning."

"The moment 1,400 people were killed, we should have launched such a fatal attack ... you could have launched a military operation," he said. "At the beginning, you'll get to those numbers (in casualties) and then you'll get to a cease-fire and hostage release."

"I'm talking about a military attack, you need to be more fatal than the attack we saw," he added.

More than 19,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to health officials in the enclave. There’s also been widespread destruction of homes and other infrastructure.

Israel says 1,200 people were killed in the October attack by Hamas.

A weeklong cease-fire took effect in November in which Hamas freed over 100 hostages in exchange for Israel’s release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas and other groups are still holding about 129 captives.​​​​​​​