Israel probably won’t be able to defeat Hamas before the end of the year, its national security adviser said, underscoring the difficulty the country faces in achieving its stated aim of crushing the Islamist group in Gaza.
"We have another seven months of fighting to deepen the achievement and attain what we define as the destruction of the governmental and military capabilities of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad,” Tzachi Hanegbi said Wednesday in an interview with state broadcaster Kan. Islamic Jihad is a separate anti-Israel militant organization that also has fighters in Gaza.
The comments will do little to raise the spirits of mediators like the U.S. and Qatar, who want Israel and Hamas to hammer out a cease-fire deal but have seen talks stalled for months. The White House said Wednesday that a "fresh” proposal — that comes with a sign-off from Israel — has been offered in hopes of prompting additional negotiations between the two sides.