Preliminary IDF report: Hostages killed by IDF in Gaza waved white flag, one yelled for help in Hebrew

[Edim]

49. Well, we can only theorize and speculate

The 3 declared goals are: "returning the hostages, defeating Hamas, and ensuring that Gaza cannot constitute a threat to Israel in the future."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/netanyahu-israel-will-not-halt-gaza-war-until-all-goals-achieved/
As you say, and I agree, returning hostages alive is not the priority. That's just propaganda and PR.
There's also this:
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked his top adviser, Ron Dermer, the minister of strategic affairs, with designing plans to “thin” the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip “to a minimum,” according to a bombshell new report in an Israeli newspaper founded by the late Republican billionaire Sheldon Adelson.
The outlet, Israel Hayom, is considered to be something of an official organ for Netanyahu. It reported that the plan has two main elements: The first would use the pressure of the war and humanitarian crisis to persuade Egypt to allow refugees to flow to other Arab countries, and the second would open up sea routes so that Israel “allows a mass escape to European and African countries.” Dermer, who is originally from Miami, is a Netanyahu confidante and was previously Israeli ambassador to the United States, and enjoys close relations with many members of Congress.
The plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza of Palestinians faces some internal resistance from less hard-line members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, according to Israel Hayom."
https://theintercept.com/2023/12/03/netanyahu-thin-gaza-population/