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 still needs “months” of war to defeat Hamas, the country’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, has told Jake Sullivan, the US national necurity adviser.

The comments were delivered to the Biden administration, which is pressing for a quicker end to the war and a winding up of the intensive air bombing campaign, during a visit by Sullivan to Israel on Thursday where he was also due to meet the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.