JERUSALEM

Israeli soldiers are experiencing exhaustion as the war in Gaza continues for nearly nine months now, senior commanders have warned, public broadcaster KAN reported on Wednesday.

Commanders of four brigades operating in Gaza are said to have told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the "soldiers are experiencing exhaustion due to continuous service for nine months."

Israel has killed nearly 38,000 people in the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, which claimed some 1,200 lives and around 250 were taken as hostages.

The broadcaster said military commanders met Netanyahu this week, and stressed the necessity to take the soldiers' fatigue into consideration.

They also claimed that they are close to dismantle Hamas in Gaza, where besides the casualties the military onslaught has caused a humanitarian catastrophe with much of the enclave reduced to a rubble.

Netanyahu on Tuesday denied a New York Times report suggesting that Israel will end the war before all of its objectives, which include ending the governance capabilities of Hamas, are achieved.

He stressed the continuation of fighting to achieve the war's objectives, i.e. destruction of Hamas, rescuing all hostages, and ensuring a safe return of residents in border areas.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar