Israel warns war in Gaza may extend seven more months
war in Gaza might persist until the year's end, casting doubt on hopes that the fighting would cease after the military operation against Hamas in Rafah, CNN reported.
Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's national security adviser, indicated that 2024 had been designated a «year of combat» by Israel's war cabinet. «We are now in the fifth month of 2024, which means we expect another seven months of fighting to deepen our achievements and achieve our goal of destroying the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad,» Hanegbi stated.
These remarks come as Israeli tanks, spotted in central Rafah for the first time since the operation commenced, continued to advance on the southern Gaza city on Wednesday. This action persists despite mounting global pressure to halt the offensive, as reported by CNN.
Initially, the Israeli government suggested that entering Rafah would mark the final stage of its war against Hamas, which initiated attacks on Israel in October, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and the abduction of around 250 individuals. In response, Israel launched a devastating offensive in Gaza, claiming the lives of over 36,000 people, according to Palestinian officials.
Despite earlier considerations for a ceasefire-for-hostages deal with Hamas, the more hawkish faction of Israel's war cabinet advocated for proceeding with the Rafah offensive, prioritizing the destruction of the group over the return of hostages believed to be in Gaza.
Hanegbi's statements imply that the Rafah operation
