Israel-Gaza updates: Hamas military chief target of strike that killed 90 people

Mohammed Deif has been the head of Hamas' military wing.

ByNadine El-Bawab, Meredith Deliso, and Ivan Pereira
Last Updated: July 13, 2024, 3:14 PM EDT

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization are ongoing, and Israeli forces have launched an assault in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

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Jul 06, 2024, 4:19 PM EDT

IDF admits it'll be fighting Hamas insurgency in Gaza for 5 years

Israel is planning for a long insurgency against Hamas, saying it expects Hamas to still exist in five years, but it said the group is no longer capable of perpetrating an Oct. 7-style attack.

"Will you and me be talking five years from now about Hamas as a terror organization in Gaza? The answer is yes," Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari told ABC News.

Hagari is the first Israeli official to publicly admit that the insurgency will be long and difficult, in stark contrast to the bombast of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who continues to vow the quick destruction of Hamas.

Gaza, and even to some degree Hezbollah, are "perpetual wars" distracting Israel from what he called their main enemy, Iran, a senior Israeli official told ABC News.

-ABC News' Matt Gutman