Israel says ground operation in Gaza 'may take months'

JERUSALEM 

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday that an expected ground operation in the Gaza Strip “may take months,” local media outlets reported.

Gallant’s statements came during his participation in a session of the Air Force Operations Command near the border with the Gaza Strip.

"These should be the last (ground) maneuvers in Gaza, because after them, there will be no Hamas anymore. It will take a month, two, three months, but eventually there will be no more Hamas," Israeli media quoted him as saying.

“Nothing can stop the (Israeli army). The operational side of the maneuver is a combination of two things: the air force’s capacity and the ground operation,” Gallant said as quoted by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military announced that it will intensify its air strikes on the Gaza Strip with the aim of reducing the threats its forces may encounter in Gaza, in preparation for the next phase of the war, referring to a ground operation.

The Israeli army continued to target Gaza with intensive airstrikes that destroyed entire neighborhoods.

At least 4,651 Palestinians, including 1,873 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza.

An unspecified number of people are trapped under the rubble.

The conflict in Gaza, which has been under Israeli bombardment and a blockade since Oct. 7, began when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis with no electricity, while water, food, fuel and medical supplies are running out.

More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.