Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announces new timeline for war in Gaza

"It will take six months for the Israeli army to finish the third phase of the war that began in the northern Gaza Strip," Netanyahu said. "As we said before, we said the air (strike) phase would take 3 weeks, and it did. We said the second phase, consisting of ground maneuvers, would take 3 months, and it did. Now, we are saying that the third phase, 'control and clearing,' will take 6 months."

KAN's report stated that the Israeli army is "reducing the number of soldiers in Gaza by demobilizing reservists and systematically withdrawing units to refresh them and prepare them for the war in a focused manner."

The report noted that "under the third phase, it is expected that ground attacks in Gaza will be concluded, units will be reduced, reservists will be demobilized, and a transition to targeted strikes will take place."

The report also stated that the third phase envisions the creation of a security zone within the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in a statement to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on January 8, had argued that his country would transition from the "intense maneuvering phase of the war" in Gaza to "different types of special operations," asserting that the subsequent phase would take longer.

GAZA OCCUPATION AFTER OCTOBER 7

The armed wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, launched a comprehensive attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, citing the need to "respond to continuous violations against Palestinians and sacred values, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Israel announced that 1,200 Israelis were killed and 5,132 people were injured in the October 7 attacks.

In the attacks Israel has carried out on the Gaza Strip since October 7, at least 25,490 Palestinians, including 11,000 children and 7,500 women, have been killed, and 63,354 people have been injured. While it is reported that thousands of bodies remain under the rubble, civilian infrastructure is also being destroyed by targeting hospitals and educational institutions where the public has taken shelter.

The Israeli army announced that 556 of its soldiers have been killed since the start of its attacks on the Gaza Strip on October 7, including 221 during the ground invasion process.

During the "humanitarian pause" in the conflict, which began on November 24, 2023, for 4 days and was later extended for another 3 days, 81 Israeli and 240 Palestinian prisoners were released in a mutual exchange. On the other hand, Israel has continued to detain and imprison thousands of Palestinians.

In the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, 370 Palestinians have lost their lives in attacks by Israeli forces and illegal Jewish settlers since October 7, 2023.

In the clashes that have been ongoing at the border between the Israeli army and Hezbollah since October 8, 2023, 29 Lebanese civilians and 167 Hezbollah members, as well as 6 Israeli civilians and 10 Israeli soldiers, have been killed.

News Source: AA