Israel says Gaza war won’t end in 2024

Describing a strategic shift to what he called the “smart” management of IDF troops, Hagari revealed that five reservist brigades were being taken out of combat, supposedly to reinvigorate the Israeli economy as the country settles in for a prolonged conflict.

“The goals of the war require lengthy fighting, and we are prepared accordingly,” he said, explaining that sending the reservists back home “will result in considerable relief for the economy, and will allow them to gain strength for operations next year, and the fighting will continue and we will need them.”

The IDF spokesman’s prediction followed similar comments from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned during a press conference that “many more months” of fighting still lay ahead.

The government has categorically rejected international pleas for a ceasefire amid the mounting death toll in Gaza, where its AI-enhanced bombing campaign has resulted in over 21,900 Palestinian deaths since Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack, according to the enclave’s health ministry. Another 56,000 have been seriously wounded, and 85% of the enclave’s approximately 2.3 million residents have been displaced.

The US has consistently stood by Israel throughout the current stage of the conflict, including by vetoing United Nations Security Council resolutions demanding a ceasefire. However, even Washington has clashed with its Middle Eastern ally over Gaza’s future. Netanyahu has stated the territory will remain under Israeli control after the war, while the US has called for it to be run by the Palestinian Authority as a step towards a two-state solution; the organization governs the West Bank and previously oversaw Gaza before Hamas took power following elections in 2007.

The Israeli government vehemently opposes Palestinian statehood, to the point that Netanyahu has openly boasted of his role in preventing it during several rounds of peace talks over the years.