Former Israeli Defense Minister Admits It Took Months To Beat Hamas

Benny Gantz. (Wikimedia Commons/IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer)

JAKARTA - Israel took months to beat Palestinian militant group Hamas, said Benny Gantz, a member of the emergency cabinet and former Israeli defense minister.

"It will take a long time. The war in the south and if necessary also in the north or elsewhere, it will probably take months, and rebuilding will take years," he quoted the TASS as saying by the Times of Israel October 19.

"Our goal is not only to beat Hamas, but to promise that the southern region will be 100 percent heaven," Gantz said.

"After the war, after we win, at any front we face, we will dedicate ourselves to rebuilding," said the retired military general.

Israel is known to have attacked Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on their territory on 7 October.

Most recently, Israeli warplane attacks killed the leader of the Popular Resistance Committee, the third-largest militant group in the Gaza Strip after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, in Rafah on Thursday.

"IDF (Israeli military) fighter jets, based on ISA intelligence information (Israel Security Authority), regarding the leader of the Popular Resistance Committee in Rafah, Rafat Harb Hussein Abu Hilal," according to a military statement.

"During the fighting, many Hamas members who joined the 'Nukbha' squad were targeted. More than ten militants were targeted in precision airstrikes," he continued.

The statement also reported that the IDF destroyed terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.

"The IDF hit hundreds of Hamas militant structures, including anti-tank missile launch posts, tunnel tunneling, intelligence infrastructure and additional command centers. Dozens of mortar launchers were also hit, most of which were destroyed immediately after launching bullets into Israel," the military said.

צה״ל ממשיך לתקוף כל העת ברחבי רצועת עזה. במהלך היממה האחרונה צה"ל, בהכוונת שב"כ, השמיד מאות תשתיות טרור של חמאס, מתוכן עשרות שנתקפו בשכונת ס'געיה. מאות תשתיות הטרור שהותקפו כוללות עמדות שיגור טילי נ"ט, פירי מנהרות, תשתיות מודיעין, חמ"לים מבצעיים ומפקדות נוספות >> pic.twitter.com/3Dd7ZkFUcw

— דובר צה״ל דניאל הגרי - Daniel Hagari (@IDFSpokesperson) October 19, 2023

"Let's watch it", "Let's talk about it", Let's talk about it", Let's talk about it. Let's talk about it, LET's take care of it", Let's take care of it", Let's take it away,