Israel’s defence minister said the devastating war in Gaza is set to last “several months”, defying US pressure to wind it down soon in favour of more targeted operations against Hamas.
The comments by Yoav Gallant came despite Joe Biden urging Israeli restraint in a conflict that has killed nearly 19,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
“I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives,” the US president said when asked if he wants Israel to scale down its operations by the end of the month. “Not stop going after Hamas, but be more careful.”
The US is supplying Israel with crucial military aid and diplomatic backing at the United Nations, but has been sounding the alarm about the civilian toll in Gaza. Mr Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan held talks with Israeli leaders to discuss a timetable for winding down major combat.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Mr Sullivan talked with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu about moving to "lower intensity operations" sometime "in the near future".
But Mr Gallant said Hamas had been building military infrastructure in Gaza for more than a decade leading up to its deadly rampage across southern Israel on October 7, "and it is not easy to destroy them”.
“It will require a period of time,” he said. "It will last more than several months, but we will win, and we will destroy them.”
After his talks with the top US official, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was "more determined than ever to continue fighting until Hamas is eliminated - until complete victory".
Mr Sullivan was heading on Friday to the West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammed Shtayyeh, said it was time for the United States to deal more firmly with Israel, including on a two-state solution to the long-running conflict after Mr Netanyahu and other Israeli officials ruled that out this week.
"Now that the United States has talked the talk, we want Washington to walk the walk," Mr Shtayyeh said in an interview with the Associated Press. "If the United States cannot deliver Israel, who can?"
Israeli officials pointed to a broader alleged threat from Hamas after seven people were arrested in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe.
Three of the suspects detained in Berlin and another in Rotterdam are longstanding members of Hamas with close links to the leadership of its military branch, according to German prosecutors. Hamas denied any link.
One of the men in Berlin, Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A, had been assigned by Hamas leaders with sourcing weapons in readiness for potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions, the prosecutors said.
On Friday morning, communications still appeared to be down across Gaza after heavy Israeli airstrikes and tank shelling overnight. Areas targeted for bombardment included parts of the border city of Rafah, where many Palestinians have congregated after fleeing the fighting elsewhere.
Late on Thursday, eight US cities saw protests led by a Jewish group demanding a ceasefire, on the eighth night of Hanukkah.
Streets and bridges were blocked in Washington and Philadelphia as demonstrators held signs reading: "Let Gaza Live" and "Not in our name".
