Israeli Military Says Gaza Slaughter Will Continue for All of 2024

Over 21,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far and over 7,000 are missing and believed to be dead or dying under the rubble

by Dave DeCamp Posted on December 31, 2023

https://news.antiwar.com/2023/12/31/israeli-military-says-gaza-slaughter-will-continue-for-all-of-2024/

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday that it would withdraw some troops from Gaza but that it expects the brutal assault on the enclave to continue through the entire year of 2024, The Times of Israel reported.

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the military was “adjusting” its “fighting methods to each area in Gaza” to prepare for a long conflict. “Tonight, 2024 will begin. The goals of the war require lengthy fighting, and we are prepared accordingly,” he said.

Hagari said the IDF was taking these measures “out of the understanding that we will be needed for additional missions and continued fighting during the entire coming year.” He said that some “of the reservists will return to their families and work this week.” The Times later reported that the IDF was pulling a total of five brigades out of Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials have made clear they plan to continue the Gaza slaughter for the long term. Despite international calls for a ceasefire and accusations of genocide, Netanyahu said Sunday that his campaign will continue for “many more months.”

The US continues to provide unconditional and full-throated support for the massacre as the Biden administration bypassed Congress for the second time to get more arms into Israel’s hands.

In less than three months of relentless airstrikes and a ground campaign in Gaza, the Israeli operations have killed over 21,000 Palestinians, including over 8,000 children, and wounded over 50,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The Health Ministry numbers are a low estimate as over 7,000 Palestinians are missing, including 4,900 women and children, and presumed to be dead or dying underneath the rubble. About 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, and about one-quarter are facing famine-like conditions.

As the Israeli operations continue, many more Palestinians are expected to die from starvation and disease caused by the siege. Public health experts estimate that if conditions don’t change, nearly half a million Palestinians will die within a year.

The destruction in Gaza is also unprecedented compared to any other modern conflict. According to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal, nearly 70% of the homes in Gaza and about half of all buildings in the Strip have been damaged or destroyed.