Israel’s war on Hamas will last for “many more months”, Israel’s military chief said, despite mounting global calls for a ceasefire.

Herzi Halevi,  the chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said its “objectives” in the 11-week-old conflict were “essential and not simple to achieve”.

“Therefore, the war will continue for many more months,”  he told reporters in a televised statement on the Gaza border on Tuesday.

“There are no magic solutions, there are no shortcuts in dismantling a terrorist organization, only determined and persistent fighting,” he added. “We will reach Hamas’ leadership too, whether it takes a week or if it takes months.”

His remarks came as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the conflict was “greater than a war of extermination” amid reports from Gaza that 250 Palestinians have been killed in the past 24 hours.

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