"Two months" - Israeli television announces expected duration of conflict
On Sunday morning, Israeli public television channel, Kan, cited anonymous sources and predicted that the intense conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip would persist for approximately two more months. This expectation includes the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducting "local operations" within the Palestinian semi-enclave.
6:58 PM EST, December 10, 2023
Following the intense fighting period, a ceasefire is not anticipated. Instead, units from the Israeli army are projected to remain stationed near the Gaza Strip, as informed by Kan's sources.
Israeli authorities are set to allow a portion of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip to return to their homes during the military operations scheduled in the upcoming months. This decision responds to "the request of the United States and operational necessity", according to the announcement on Israeli television.
The Times of Israel also reported that Palestinian media associated with Hamas claimed Israeli Defense Forces launched attacks on the northern Gaza Strip and Khan Yunis, its largest urban center in the south, from Saturday to Sunday.
Conversation with US President Joe Biden
Reports from Channel 13, citing anonymous diplomatic officials, suggest that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed President Joe Biden during a weekend phone call of IDF's current operations in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. These operations are estimated to last for another 3–4 weeks.
Expectations within the US administration indicate that the intensity of conflict in Gaza will subsequently reduce and become more concentrated.
The Times of Israel reported that White House officials have denied earlier rumors suggesting President Biden set a deadline for the cessation of hostilities by year's end.
