The Israeli military is expecting its war with militant group Hamas to continue through all of 2024, multiple news outlets reported.
Israel is approaching its three-month mark of its war in Gaza with militant group Hamas, which launched an unprecedented, deadly attack on the country on Oct. 7. Since the war began, thousands of Palestinians have been killed and millions have been displaced due to Israel’s attacks targeting Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and has indicated that the war is from over. He said over the weekend that there would be “many more months” of fighting as Israel expands its offensive in Gaza.
ABC News reported that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement that the Israel-Hamas war would last all of 2024. He said that the “goal of the war requires lengthy fighting,” adding that Israel is “prepared accordingly.”
“We are adjusting the fighting methods to each area in Gaza, as well as the necessary forces to carry out the mission in the best way possible,” Hagari said. “Each area has different characteristics and different operational needs.”
“The IDF needs to plan ahead, out of the understanding that we will be needed for additional missions and continued fighting during the entire coming year,” Hagari said, according to ABC.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has reported that more than 20,000 Palestinians have died since the onset of the war. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.
The war has prompted tensions to rise in the Middle East. U.S. military forces have engaged with Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea numerous times as they continue to target merchant ships. U.S. Central Command said Navy helicopters sank three small Houthi boats in the Red Sea early Sunday after the rebels launched an attack on a container ship.
The Hill has reached out to the IDF for comment.
Miranda Nazzaro contributed reporting.
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