What seven more months of war would mean for Palestinians, Israelis and the world

Israel has warned that its war in Gaza could extend until the end of the year. National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi stated on Wednesday that the country anticipates “seven more months of fighting” to achieve its objective of destroying Hamas, a goal that remains unmet after more than seven months of conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Prolonging the war could have catastrophic consequences for Palestinians in the already ravaged territory and significant repercussions for Israel and beyond, experts said. It could further harm Israel’s economy, influence its domestic politics, and damage its international standing and foreign relations. It could also impact US politics, particularly as President Joe Biden gears up for the November elections.

“It’s a grueling grind forward,” said Assaf Orion, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv and former head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strategic planning division. “We see the day-in, day-out toll of that kind of fighting… On top of that, there is of course the political, diplomatic, informational and reputational issues, in which Israel is paying growing costs for the ongoing fight.”

The situation is deteriorating by the day inside Gaza and a continuation of the war is likely to significantly increase the suffering of the people there.

In February, when the death toll in the territory stood at 28,000, researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health projected that if the war escalated the total number of deaths would surpass 72,000 by August. If the impact of epidemics sparked by the conflict is included, the toll could be close to 86,000 by then. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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