Israel estimates that the “full-scale military operations” in Gaza will last another six to eight weeks as security officials prepare to launch an operation in Rafah, Reuters reported on Monday morning.

According to the report, senior IDF officials believe they can significantly curtail Hamas’s remaining capabilities during that time, allowing them to shift to a lower-intensity stage of special forces operations and targeted airstrikes.

The report quotes Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official, as saying that Israel will not heed international calls to avoid invading Rafah.

“Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas control and there remain battalions in Rafah which Israel must dismantle to achieve its goals in this war,” he said, adding that the only way the operation in Rafah would be delayed is if Hamas would hand over the hostages.

“Even that would only delay the advance on Rafah unless it is coupled with the demilitarization of the city and surrender of the Hamas battalions there,” he added.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday that “there were 24 regional battalions in Gaza – we have dismantled 18 of them. Now, Rafah is the next Hamas center of gravity.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)