Israel DM: War on Gaza to continue for 2 months at this intensity

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has reiterated that the war on the besieged Gaza Strip “at its current intensity” could continue for another two months.

In an interview with ABC, Gallant said, “We will fight in Gaza for several months to carry out cleansing operations and eliminate pockets of terrorism”, adding that the Israeli army soldiers would not leave Shuja’iyya until “the complete elimination” of all Hamas infrastructure there.

A statement issued by the Israeli Defence Ministry said Gallant has completed an assessment of the operational situation on the Gaza fence, in cooperation with the commander of the Southern Command, Yaron Finkelman, and the commander of the 36th Division and listened to a comprehensive review of the battles, the ongoing operations in  Shuja’iyya and Jabalia, “to eliminate Hamas targets, and to monitor the movements of Israeli army forces in the southern Gaza Strip.”

According to the statement, Gallant expressed his “appreciation” for the accuracy and intensity of the fire used since the resumption of fighting, and for the systematic liquidation of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza City area and the northern Gaza Strip.

Gallant said the Golani Brigade fighters had arrived in Shuja’iya “to close the circle and this time they will not leave it until all the terrorist infrastructure present there is completely eliminated.”

“Three days after the resumption of firing, the Israeli army is at its best, and I would like to express my great appreciation to the forces that increased the pressure on the terrorists,” he said.

He pointed out that the army is working at its best, and the Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, is “managing things…with great success, and this work that is taking place now, in the northern Gaza Strip, will soon lead to the breaking of the entire Gaza City area and the northern Gaza Strip.

“At the same time, the Israeli army has begun work in the southern Gaza Strip, and the fate of the terrorists in the Hamas brigades there will be the same and worse than the fate of those in the north. We will continue until victory, the achievement of all goals, the elimination of Hamas, and the return of the kidnapped people to the State of Israel,” he added.

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