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Israeli military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said achieving control over the northern half of the Gaza Strip was only the “first step of a long war.”
“We are preparing for the next stages, we are looking forward in the coming days we will focus on planning and fulfilling the next stages of the war,” he said at a daily media briefing.
His statement comes after Qatari mediators announced a four-day cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas will begin at 7 a.m. local time on Friday.
Hagari’s statement is in line with statements by the Israeli government that the truce won’t end the war.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said fighting would continue for at least two more months, The Times of Israel reported.
The online newspaper quoted Gallant as telling troops they should “organize, get ready, investigate, resupply arms, and get ready to continue.”
“There will be a continuation because we need to complete the victory and create the impetus for the next groups of hostages, who will only come back as a result of pressure,” he said.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said fighting would continue “until we achieve all our goals.”
It includes destroying Hamas’ military capabilities, ending its 16-year rule in Gaza and return of all the captives held in Gaza by Hamas and other groups.
Hamas previously said it considered the cease-fire as temporary and its “fingers remain on the trigger.”
Israel, Germany and the United States among other nations designated Hamas as a terror organization.
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