Netanyahu says 'many more months' of war ahead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not letting up on his vow to destroy the militant group Hamas as he warns the war will continue for months. 

Netanyahu said at a press conference Saturday there will be “many more months” of war ahead as Israel approaches its three-month mark of fighting Hamas in Gaza, The Associated Press reported. 

His comments come as Israel continued to expand its offensive to central Gaza this week and as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East. The Israeli military has said that it was operating in Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Younis because it believes that is where Hamas militant leaders are hiding, according to The Associated Press. 

One day after Netanyahu warned of an extended war, local hospital officials reported Israeli strikes killed at least 35 people in central Gaza on Sunday. More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed since the onset of the war on Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Netanyahu also said at the press conference that Israel would keep up open-ended security control over the Gaza Strip and assume control of the Gaza side of the border with Egypt after the war is over, according to The Associated Press. This sentiment differs from how the U.S. wants Gaza to operate after the war, as President Biden and other officials said they are pushing for a two-state solution in the war. 

The U.S. has supported Israel in its war against Hamas, but Biden has raised concerns over the last month about how the U.S.’s ally is carrying out its war in Gaza. He said earlier this month that Israel is “starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place.”

U.S. military forces have also engaged with Houthi rebels in the Red Sea as they continue to target merchant ships. U.S. Central Command said Navy helicopters sank three small Houthi boats in the Red Sea early Sunday after it launched an attack on a container ship. 

About 1,200 people were killed during Hamas’s initial attack on Israel on Oct. 7, and another approximately 240 people were captured as hostages by the militant group. Israeli media reported Friday that Qatari negotiators informed Israeli officials that Hamas “agrees in principle” to terms for a second hostage swap and temporary cease-fire.