Israel has achieved most of its battlefield aims against Hamas in Gaza, but is unlikely to eliminate the militant movement by continuing combat operations that have cost an estimated 40,000 lives, current and former U.S. officials say.
The assessment came as a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks started in Doha on Thursday, with CIA Director William Burns joining Israeli and Egyptian spy chiefs for closed-door negotiations. Hamas representatives did not take part.
Even as negotiators met, violence continued in Gaza. Palestinian health officials said at least six people were killed on Thursday night in an Israeli air strike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza. The reported death toll of 40,000 is “a grim milestone for the world,” U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said.
