Israel tells US it needs ‘months’ to defeat Hamas

Defence minister addresses US national security adviser as Biden administration presses for end to war

Israel will fight on until absolute victory against Hamas", the country's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told a senior official from the Biden administration, as another minister said the war could last more than several months".

Netanyahu's comments were made to Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden's national security adviser, during a visit to Israel hours after its defence minister, Yoav Gallant, told Sullivan that many more months were needed to defeat Hamas in Gaza.