Israel warns war in Gaza may extend seven more months

Tel Aviv: Amid intense war with Hamas, Israel on Wednesday cautioned that the war in Gaza might extend until the year’s end, pouring cold waters on hopes that the fighting would end after the military operation against Hamas in Rafah, CNN reported. Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel’s national security adviser, hinted 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.