AS ISRAEL WAGES WHAT ITS GOVernment says will be a protracted conflict to defeat Hamas and bring home hostages held in the Gaza Strip, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official tells Newsweek exclusively that the scope and length of the campaign is being influenced by growing internal and external pressure.
The comments give unique insight into the likely remaining time frame for a conflict that has dominated global headlines since Hamas launched an unprecedentedly bloody raid of killing and kidnapping in Israel on October 7.
Both the pressure to bring the hostages home quickly and the difficulty of operating in Gaza were thrown into sharp relief on December 15, when the Israeli army said it had mistakenly killed three hostages after erroneously identifying them as a threat.
The war has drawn battle lines around the globe, from the United Nations to social media and college campuses, and has prompted fears of a wider regional conflict. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden is under growing political pressure over his strong support for Israel as backers of a ceasefire call for an end to the Palestinian death toll in Gaza amid a stream of harrowing images of dead children in the rubble.
The IDF official, who spoke to Newsweek on the condition of anonymity, says the timetable for achieving the two operational goals of defeating Hamas and bringing home the hostages could be looked at through "different clocks" that are influencing the course of the ongoing campaign.
"We understand that there are a lot of different clocks that have impact on this and how fast we can go, and in kinetic ways [as well]," the IDF official says. "Can we strike extensively, which reduces some of the other clocks because it makes them go faster because of the international pressure that can come with that?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Zachary Quinto
ZACHARY QUINTO HAS PLAYED DOCTORS BEFORE, BUT HE'S \"NEVER PLAYED a doctor like\" the one he plays on NBC's Brilliant Minds (September 23).
Adam Brody
NETFLIX KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT MILLENNIALS want, and it's to see Adam Brody and Kristen Bell fall in love.
Partners in Crime
Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt shares his delight at teaming up with Shailene Woodley again in new Amazon Prime movie Killer Heat
HOW TO FIND A WORKPLACE THAT LOVES YOU BACK
Insights from America's Top Most Loved Workplaces
MOST LOVED WORKPLACES 2024
AT A TIME WHEN WORKERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO redefine what they expect from their jobs, the companies on Newsweek's annual list of the Most Loved Workplaces in America are setting the standard for what a fulfilling workplace looks like.
Q&A LEE YARON
With 10/7, the professional became profoundly personal.
SDEROT INTERSECTION
How Jewish and Arab strangers united to rescue two little girls amidst Hamas' October 7 attack
No End in Sight
AS TENSIONS CONTINUE TO FLARE AT ISRAEL'S BORDERS, NEWSWEEK DISCOVERS HOW LIFE HAS CHANGED IN THE REGION A YEAR ON FROM THE OCTOBER 7 HAMAS ATTACKS
Thai Scammers Set Sights on US
Newsweek looks inside the Southeast Asian country's $2 billion cybercrime industry and how American citizens are now falling prey to sophisticated schemes run overseas
PARTING SHOT: Sarah Paulson
\"CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THE AIR WAS JUST FILLED WITH DUST PARTICLES and you literally could not breathe?\" That's what Sarah Paulson is tackling in her new film Hold Your Breath (October 3).