Tel Aviv, 23 October 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant expects that fighting could last for months in the war against the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"In terms of the operational aspects of manoeuvring - at the end of the day, nothing will stop the IDF. It is a combination of two things - our aerial capabilities and ground manoeuvring," Gallant said on Sunday in Tel Aviv.

"This should be our last manoeuvring operation in Gaza, for the simple reason that afterwards there will be no more Hamas," Gallant asserted.

A ground offensive by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip could be imminent following Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel just over two weeks ago.

Armed militants from the Islamist movement Hamas attacked Israeli towns and massacred civilians at a music festival in the border area on October 7, as well as killing Israeli soldiers at a military post.

Around 1,400 people died in Israel in the coordinated attacks and in the days that followed. Since then, Israel has been carrying out air strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip.

Photo: EPA