Israeli military expects Hamas war to last all of 2024: reports

The Israeli military expects its war with the militant group Hamas to last through 2024. multiple news outlets report.

Israel is entering its third month of war in Gaza with the militant group Hamas, which launched an unprecedented and deadly attack on the country on October 7. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed and millions displaced since the war began. Israeli attack targeting Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and acknowledged that the war is over. The prime minister said over the weekend that fighting would continue for “many more months” as Israel escalates its offensive in the Gaza Strip.

ABC News reported that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement that an Israeli-Hamas war would have the following effects: Until the end of 2024. “The objectives of war require long-term combat,” he said, adding that Israel was “preparing accordingly.”

“We are adapting our fighting methods to each region of Gaza, and we are also adapting the forces needed to carry out the mission in the best possible way,” Hagari said. “Each area has different characteristics and different operational needs.”

“The Israel Defense Forces need to plan ahead, recognizing that additional missions and continued combat will be required over the next year,” Hagari said, according to ABC.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has reported that more than 20,000 Palestinians have died since the start of the war. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.

The war increased tensions in the Middle East. U.S. forces have repeatedly engaged Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and continue to target commercial ships. U.S. Central Command said a naval helicopter sank three small Houthi boats in the Red Sea early Sunday after the rebels attacked a container ship.

The Hill has reached out to the IDF for comment.

Miranda Nazzaro contributed reporting.