Israel plans for ‘long war’ and aims to kill top three Hamas leaders, FT reports.

Israel is planning a campaign against Hamas that will stretch for a year or more, with the most intensive phase of the ground offensive continuing into early 2024.

The multi-phase strategy envisages Israeli forces, who are garrisoned inside north Gaza, making an imminent push deep into the south of the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The goals include killing the three top Hamas leaders — Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa — while securing “a decisive” military victory against the group’s 24 battalions and underground tunnel network and destroying its “governing capability in Gaza”.

“This will be a very long war . . . We’re currently not near halfway to achieving our objectives,” said one person familiar with the Israeli war plans.

Israel’s overall strategy for Gaza is flexible, with timing dictated by multiple “clocks”, including operational progress on the ground, international pressure and opportunities to free Israeli hostages, the people said.

The renewed high-intensity ground operation will probably require a few more months, taking it into the new year, the people familiar with the preparations estimated.

“This isn’t going to be weeks,” said one person familiar with US-Israel discussions over the war.

After that, there will be a “transition and stabilisation” phase of lower military intensity that could continue into late 2024, with the location of Israeli ground forces during this phase still unclear.

Unlike previous Israeli military operations and wars, one Israeli official suggested there would not be a firm end point.

“The referee won’t blow the whistle and it’s over,” they said.