Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi told the KAN News public radio broadcaster on Wednesday that the fighting in Gaza will continue for at least another seven months.
“We have another seven months of fighting expected, to deepen the achievement and achieve what we define as ‘the destruction of the governmental and military capabilities of Hamas,’” he said.
The fighting is “justified and necessary,” Hanegbi added. “Without it we will not survive and will not preserve our independence. We have been attacked by Iranian proxies in seven different arenas, a war in which we are united. It’s a long war against a power that is trying to strangle us, and he who tires first, loses.”
To listen to the interview, click here.
At this point, he said, the Israel Defense Forces control approximately 75 percent of the Philadelphi Corridor that runs along the border between Gaza and Egypt.
The area, about eight miles long (13 kilometers), is a strategic zone in which Israeli forces have uncovered at least 20 terrorist smuggling tunnels.
Hanegbi also claimed that while Israel will control the corridor, it will work with Egypt to prevent smuggling.
Egypt claimed years ago that it was taking steps to prevent smuggling by Hamas through its border with Gaza — a pledge which it has violated. Due to Cairo’s ambivalence, Hamas has been able to import advanced weaponry which it has used to attack Israel.
