The Israel military anticipates the Gaza war to persist throughout 2024, as stated in a New Year’s message by Israel Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari. The military is adjusting troop deployments to prepare for prolonged fighting, withdrawing some reservists to regroup. These adaptations aim to ensure planning and preparation for ongoing warfare in the coming year.
Reservists, particularly, will leave Gaza soon to re-energize ahead of upcoming operations. Over 21,800 people, predominantly children and women, have been killed in the 11 weeks of fighting, triggered by a cross-border attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel. Significant casualties, ongoing airstrikes causing further devastation, and the UN’s report of 85% displacement among Gaza’s 2.4 million people mark the conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has acknowledged that the Israel war is at its peak, with successes and painful cases. He emphasized that achieving victory will take time, echoing the Israeli Army chief of staff’s statement that the war will continue for several more months. Additionally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich suggested Palestinians leave Gaza to make room for Israelis.
Despite the official Israeli government stance that Gazans will eventually return home, the specifics of how and when this will happen remain unclear. Air raid sirens, missile defense systems intercepting rockets from Gaza, and ongoing tensions marked the new year in Israel. The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, claimed responsibility for rocket attacks, citing them as a response to perceived Israeli atrocities against civilians.
