Netanyahu: End to Israel’s Gaza war ‘intense phase’ close

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the end of the “intense phase” of his country’s war with Hamas was “very close,” adding that forces would be redeployed to the country’s northern border with Lebanon.

Although Netanyahu had vowed to pursue a war in Gaza until Hamas is completely destroyed, near-daily exchanges with Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia backed by Iran, have forced Israel to shift its military capabilities north.

Experts have warned that a war with Hezbollah — the world’s best-armed non-state group — would be devastating, with some forecasting Israel’s Iron Dome defense system could be overwhelmed. In response, tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have fled, CNN reported.