Israel continues military offensive amid announcement of months of fighting

US President Joe Biden called on Israel on Thursday to do more to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip. "I want them to focus on how to save civilian lives," said Biden. Israel should "not stop" taking action against the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, "but be more careful".

Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who was expected in Ramallah in the West Bank on Friday, had met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Joav Gallant in Tel Aviv on Thursday. Gallant said that the war against Hamas would last "more than a few months". "Hamas is a terrorist organization that has built itself up over a decade to fight Israel." In the end, however, Israel will win and destroy Hamas.

White House National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby said in Washington that this timeframe was consistent with what Israel had previously said.

An Israeli army spokesman said there would be "more tough battles in the coming days". According to the Israeli Defense Forces, 117 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ground offensive in Gaza began. The army also announced on Friday morning that it had recovered the body of a French-Israeli hostage abducted by Hamas on October 7. The body of Elya Toledano had been brought back to Israel.

The war between Israel and Hamas was triggered on 7 October by the unprecedented attack on Israel by the Islamist Palestinian organization. Fighters from Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and the EU, had invaded Israeli towns and villages and committed atrocities against civilians. According to Israeli reports, around 1,200 people were killed and around 240 people were taken hostage.

In response, the Israeli army began bombing targets in the Gaza Strip and launched a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 18,780 people have been killed so far.

Recently, the pressure on Israel to show more consideration for civilians in its actions in the Gaza Strip has increased. The USA - one of Israel's most important allies - is campaigning for a lower intensity of attacks.

According to Kirby, security advisor Sullivan spoke "about a possible transition from what we would call high-intensity operations (...) to lower-intensity operations at some point in the near future". However, Kirby would not commit to a specific date.