Israel says Gaza offensive expected to last another seven months

Israel’s national security adviser has said that the military offensive in the Gaza Strip is likely to continue for another seven months, lasting into 2025.

“We are expecting another seven months of fighting to reduce the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and the smaller Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group,” Tzachi Hanegbi stated in an interview with local media.

Despite seven months of relentless military assault in Gaza, Tel Aviv has shown no hesitation in intensifying its actions, ignoring warnings from several countries and international organisations.

Regarding the Rafah offensive, Hanegbi claimed that since Hamas took control of the border region with Egypt in 2007, it has become a “smuggling kingdom.”

“Every rocket, every explosive device, every shot fired at Israel is because that border was breached,” he said.

While Israel remains persistent in its deadly assault on civilians, there has been no international body capable of restraining its military actions.

According to Al Jazeera, the US has asked Israel for a post-war vision of the Palestinian territory, while Netanyahu’s officials have warned against an indefinite stay in Gaza. 

On the other hand, Hamas has clearly indicated its intention to remain in Gaza and rejected any post-war plan that excludes its involvement in determining the enclave's future.

Israel is relentlessly targeting displaced civilians in Rafah who took shelter in the humanitarian zones as a recent airstrike on the so-called “safe area” of al-Mawasi killed at least 21 people, mostly women and girls. 

The attacks on civilians continued in Jabalia and the rest of the Gaza Strip. 

The tanks of the Israeli army also moved into central Rafah on Tuesday, indicating the beginning of a ground invasion, which has been widely condemned by the international community.