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Israeli Defense Minister: Israel's Future Will Be Defined by the Achievements in This War
(Times of Israel) Carrie Keller-Lynn - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Friday that the current phase of the war against Hamas in Gaza may last for "months." Gallant said the current expanded ground activity, which began Friday evening, and an expected larger-scale ground maneuver, are only the second of four planned phases to the war. The first phase involved a three-week-long aerial bombardment and limited ground raids, following Hamas' devastating attack on Israel on Oct. 7. The military is preparing for a third stage of fighting during which it will begin to seek out new leadership for Gaza while rooting out "pockets of resistance." This lower-intensity conflict is also estimated to take several months. The final phase is "the removal of Israel's responsibility for life in Gaza and the establishment of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel." Gallant stressed that Israel has no interest in reoccupying Gaza, but Israel has no clear plan for who will rule there. "Whatever will be next will be better, whatever it is." He added that "The next 75 years will be defined in many ways by the achievements in this war."