Israel prepares to fight through 2024 in a war that is not likely to end any time soon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcements were followed by communications from the armed forces (IDF): the military is ready for the prolonged conflict with Hamas in Gaza in the year that has just begun and at the same time is preparing for a new phase of the war. Some of the reservists, recalled after the attacks on 7 October, will be able to return home: in particular, they are the soldiers of the 551st and 14th brigades. A new training phase is looming for the 828th brigade, the 261st and the 460th.
We must prepare for new missions in a conflict that “requires prolonged fighting”, said IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari. The return home of some reservists should not be interpreted as a reduction in commitment. The decisions are part of “planning and preparation for the rest of 2024, with the understanding that new objectives will be set and more fighting will be necessary during the year”. The provision that ordered the return home of the reservists mobilized after the Hamas attacks should “significantly lighten the economic burden” of the war. The troops will be able to catch their breath “for further activities during the year, given that the war continues and the commitment of the soldiers will still be necessary”.
The prospect of a long war appears concrete. Netanyahu has repeatedly referred to the need for a sustained commitment to achieve the main objective, the elimination of Hamas from Gaza. The month of January, according to some analysts, could however mark the transition to a 2.0 phase of the conflict, with more targeted operations aimed at hitting specific targets regarding Hamas leaders and militiamen. Such a development would fall, at least in part, into the process desired by the United States: President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly highlighted the need to set aside the strategy which, between October and December, caused a high number of civilian victims.
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