A top Israeli security official said on Wednesday the war in Gaza could go on until the year's end to achieve the aim of 'destroying Hamas', despite the high civilian death toll in the enclave.
"We may have another seven months of fighting to consolidate our success and achieve what we have defined as the destruction of Hamas's power and military capabilities," National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said.
"Victory for us means destroying Hamas's military capabilities, bringing back all the hostages and ensuring that at the end of the war there are no more threats from Gaza," he said.
Hanegbi's comments come mounting international condemnation for Israel's recent attacks on Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, which have been labelled as massacres.
Following the horrifying events, the international community has increasingly urged Israel to halt its military operation in Gaza, and adhere to the International Court of Justice's order to halt its offensive in the city.
The Israeli army has increased the intensity and scale of the attacks, forcing scores of displaced Palestinians to flee to other parts of the enclave amid Israeli threats, dangerous conditions and a lack of food and other necessities.
Strikes in Rafah, where thousands of Palestinians are sheltering, Khan Younis, and the enclave's Jabalia camp, were reported.
At least 21 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, including 13 women and girls, in a strike on a tent camp housing displaced families in al-Mawasi, near Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, drawing condemnation and anger from several nations.