Possibility of Gaza conflict extending for seven more months raised by Israel.
The year 2024 is deemed as a year of combat by Israel's war cabinet. Israel's National Security Advisor, Tzachi Hanegbi, stated that they are now in the fifth month of 2024, indicating seven more months of fighting to enhance their accomplishments and achieve their objective of destroying Hamas and Islamic Jihad's military and governmental capabilities.
This statement was made as Israeli tanks, present in Rafah for the first time since the operation started earlier this month, explored the southern Gaza city on Wednesday, amidst mounting international pressure to stop the conflict.
Israel's government had hinted that entering Rafah would be the last stage of their war against Hamas, who attacked Israel on October 7, leading to roughly 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages. Consequently, Israel launched a massive offensive in Gaza that has caused over 36,000 fatalities, according to Palestinian officials.
Although there were initial discussions of negotiating a ceasefire in exchange for the hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza, the more aggressive faction within Israel's war cabinet argued that combating Hamas was more critical and more significant than freeing the hostages.
However, Hanegbi's comments suggest that the Rafah operation may not represent the end of the hostilities, causing concerns about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to conclude Israel's campaign and his intentions for post-war management of Gaza.
Despite Netanyahu's depiction of Rafah as Hamas' "last bastion," the military had already claimed dismantling Hamas' command structure in northern areas.
In a radio conversation on the Israeli Reshet Bet station, Hanegbi mentioned that "it was genuinely stated in the early days of presenting the plans to the cabinet that the war would be extensive."
"You need to be patient and stay strong. This endurance is what has enabled this nation to endure for 75 years, and even for 3,000 years before that. Simply don't put a time limit on ourselves or set deadlines," Hanegbi said.
Israel is proceeding with their military campaign in disregard of the growing global disapproval, following an Israeli airstrike on Sunday that killed at least 45 individuals and wounded 200 others at a camp for displaced persons in Rafah, a designated safe zone.
Videos from Tal al-Sultan camp demonstrated distressing scenarios: charred corpses being taken from the wreckage, a man holding a headless child's body, and fires burning in the backdrop of tents.
A CNN analysis of these videos indicated that munitions produced in the United States were employed in the strike.
However, US President Joe Biden is not altering his policy toward Israel, suggesting the strike on Rafah has not yet met a threshold that would prompt changes in US support, despite him previously telling CNN he would not permit certain US weapons to be utilized in a significant offensive in Rafah.
The strike occurred just days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) commanded Israel to "immediately cease" their actions in Rafah, or any measures that may provoke life conditions disastrous enough to dangerously endanger the Palestinian group in Gaza.
The ICJ described the situation in Rafah as "desperate," with the potential to worsen further if Israel's operation in the city continues.
CNN reporters Allegra Goodwin, Avery Schmitz, and Kathleen Magramo also contributed to the report.
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The international community is expressing concern over the prolonged conflict in Gaza, with the Middle East becoming a hotspot of global interest. Israel's National Security Advisor, Tzachi Hanegbi, hinted at seven more months of fighting, emphasizing the importance of achieving their objectives in the Middle East.
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