Gaza war to last months, Israel says, as fears of conflict spread rise

Israel’s war on Hamas will last months, Israel’s military chief said, as a string of incidents outside the Gaza Strip highlighted the risk of the conflict spreading.
Israel’s Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi told reporters in a televised statement on Tuesday from the Gaza border that the war would go on “for many months”.
“There are no magic solutions, there are no shortcuts in dismantling a terrorist organization, only determined and persistent fighting,” Halevi said. “We will reach Hamas’ leadership too, whether it takes a week or if it takes months.”
Israeli actions intensified around Christmas, particularly in a central area just south of the seasonal waterway that bisects the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army told civilians to leave the area, though many said there was no safe place left to go.