Israeli army tanks in the Gaza Strip on December 10, 2023. (Photo: TIMES OF ISRAEL)

Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Gallant said the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has no intention of establishing a long-term presence in the Gaza Strip, refuting recent accusations of Israel planning to re-occupy Gaza after the current campaign.

Israel’s military has been intensifying its attack on the Gaza strip. The IDF confirmed on Monday that Hamas's fighting force in the Northern Gaza area has nearly collapsed, with a significant number of Hamas fighters surrendering to the Israeli army.

The Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip reported that the Israeli army's campaign has resulted in more than 18,200 deaths and 49,600 injuries, the majority of them civilians. 60% of civilian structures in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed, forcing about 75% of the 2.3 million residents to flee their homes in search of refuge.

In a related development outside of Gaza, the armed group known as the "Islamic Resistance Forces in Iraq" issued a statement acknowledging its attacks on two US military bases in Iraq and Syria in response to the Israeli army's actions in the Gaza Strip.

The group had previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks on US targets in these countries, citing them as responses to what it deemed "the Israeli army's crimes against civilians" in Palestine, specifically in the Gaza Strip.