Ending rocket fire from Gaza unlikely, say unnamed Israeli army officials

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel's ongoing war on Gaza is unlikely to end rocket attacks from the Palestinian enclave into the country, unnamed military officials said Sunday.

“The deepening of the fighting certainly contributes to reducing the missile capabilities in Gaza,” the officials said, according to Israeli Army Radio.

“However, even if the war ends with Israel's success in achieving its goals, estimates indicate that it will be possible for rockets to still be launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel,” the sources added

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the aims of the ongoing onslaught on Gaza include returning Israeli hostages held there, as well as ending Hamas' rule in Gaza, and eliminating the resistance group's military capabilities.

“The Israeli army’s ability to hit long-range rocket launchers is good, but it is difficult to reduce short-range fire from the Gaza Strip to zero,” the sources added.

“Even after two years from now, the residents of areas surrounding the Gaza Strip may still hear sirens sounding due to rocket launches from Gaza,” a senior Israeli officer told the radio station.

Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, killing at least 21,672 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 56,165 others, according to health authorities in the enclave.

Israeli authorities claim the Hamas attack killed around 1,200 Israelis.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave's infrastructure damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara