The war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip will last “throughout 2024,” an Israeli army spokesman said.
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The army “must plan in advance because we will be called upon for additional tasks and battles throughout the year,” Daniel Hagari announced to the press on Sunday evening.
He also stressed that tens of thousands of Israeli reservists would be needed to continue fighting, but that some of them would take a break from the war to prepare for “protracted fighting.”
“Some reservists will return to their families and jobs this week,” assured Mr. Hagari, which will allow them to “regain strength for upcoming activities next year” (2024).
AFP
In addition, the fact that some of the 300,000 reservists will return to work for a certain period of time will “significantly ease the burden on the economy affected by the war,” he said.
The army plans to deploy its troops in the coming months, he added.
The war between Israel and Hamas was sparked by the Palestinian Islamist movement's unprecedented attack on Israeli soil from the Gaza Strip on October 7.
The Israeli army has since carried out military operations in the area to “destroy” Hamas.
Since the ground operation in Gaza began on October 27, the army has lost 172 soldiers inside Palestinian territory, some of them from so-called “friendly” fire, i.e. from its own forces.
AFP