Crisis in the Middle East: the offensive on Gaza will last at least until the end of the year, according to an Israeli official

An Israeli tank near the Gaza border in southern Israel on Tuesday. Credit... Atef Safadi/EPA, via Shutterstock

Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said Wednesday that he expected Israeli military operations in Gaza to continue at least until the end of the year. year, appearing to reject the idea that the war could end after the military offensive against Hamas in Rafah.

“We let's hope for another seven months of fighting in order to consolidate our gains and achieve what we define as the destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad,” Mr. Hanegbi said in a radio interview with Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster. . >

Israeli officials have told the public to expect a prolonged campaign that would progress in stages toward lower-intensity fighting. Mr. Hanegbi's assessment, however, appears to contradict earlier projections by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said in April that the country was "on the verge of victory" in its war against Hamas. In recent weeks, Israeli troops have repeatedly returned to areas of northern Gaza to try to quell a new insurgency by Hamas militants.

Israel faces growing pressure to end its campaign and reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas that would include the release of hostages held in Gaza. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requests arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and defense minister; the World Court ordered Israel to curb its Rafah offensive; and the Biden administration has expressed frustration with the lack of a clear Israeli purpose for post-war Gaza.

The outcry has only intensified in recent days, after an Israeli bombardment – ​​which sparked a fire in an area where displaced Palestinians were sheltering – killed at least 45 people in western Rafah, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The Israeli military said the airstrike targeted two Hamas commanders and that it was investigating what might have caused the fire.

Antony J. Blinken, the US secretary of state, said the incident demonstrated the dangers and challenges of waging war in a crowded area where Hamas is integrated into the civilian population. And he reiterated the Biden administration's criticism that Israel has not laid the foundation for governance and security of Gaza after the war, and that Israeli occupation and control of the territory would not be viable. /p>

"I think this highlights the imperative of having a plan for the next day, because in the absence of a plan for the next day, there will be no tomorrow,” Blinken told reporters. Wednesday on a trip to Moldova. “Otherwise, Hamas will remain in control, which is unacceptable. Otherwise we will have chaos, anarchy and emptiness. »

At least 290 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza and more than 3,600 injured since the ground invasion began in late October, according to military statistics. The army said three more soldiers were killed and three others seriously wounded Tuesday in Rafah, where Israeli forces were advancing in a long-awaited assault.

Destruction inside northern Gaza seen from the Israeli side of the Gaza border.Credit...Amir Cohen/Reuters

More than a million Gazans have fled the city in the face of attacks, according to the United Nations. Israel called the operation critical to eliminating Hamas forces deployed in the city, while the Biden administration and human rights groups...