AS ISRAEL WAGES WHAT ITS GOV-ernment says will be a protracted conflict to defeat Hamas and bring home hostages held in the Gaza Strip, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official tells Newsweek exclusively that the scope and length of the campaign is being influenced by growing internal and external pressure.
The comments give unique insight into the likely remaining time frame for a conflict that has dominated global headlines since Hamas launched an unprecedentedly bloody raid of killing and kidnapping in Israel on October 7.
Both the pressure to bring the hostages home quickly and the difficulty of operating in Gaza were thrown into sharp relief on December 15, when the Israeli army said it had mistakenly killed three hostages after erroneously identifying them as a threat.
The war has drawn battle lines around the globe, from the United Nations to social media and college campuses, and has prompted
