Democrats party chairman Yair Golan addressed the war in Gaza, stating at the Security and Service Conference organized by ynet, Yedioth Ahronoth and the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) that "to create real change in the Gaza Strip, destroying Hamas's military power is not enough." He added that reaching "complete destruction - that won't happen," and emphasized that "the real way to defeat Hamas is to create a governmental alternative, therefore the way is to reach a hostage deal, a long-term ceasefire and building an alternative government to Hamas with moderate Palestinian elements."