'This will be a long war, but we are going to win': Israeli defense minister

News Desk - The cradle 

Yoav Gallant's comments come as Russian President Putin seeks to prevent the conflict from escalating into a 'wider regional war'

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on 16 October that Israel’s war with Hamas “will be a long one," as preparations continue for a ground offensive into Gaza that could trigger a regional war.

Speaking with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who visited Israel Monday, Gallant said, "Let me tell you, Mr Secretary, this will be a long war, the price will be high, but we are going to win -- for Israel, for the Jewish people and for the values that both countries believe in.”

Gallant added that both Israel and the rest of the world could "see with their own eyes" the strong US support for Israel, as illustrated by two visits to Israel by Blinken, one by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the deployment of two US aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean.

"You have -- and will always have -- the support of the United States," Blinken said.

Blinken paid a brief visit to Israel on Thursday before touring six Arab countries. He returned on Monday, as Israel is preparing a ground invasion of Gaza in hopes of eliminating Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to destroy Hamas after the resistance group launched a surprise attack against Israel on 7 October. Thousands of Hamas fighters entered Israel from Gaza, attacking settlements and taking captives back to the densely populated enclave. 

Israel responded by closing off Gaza to food, water, and electricity while launching a massive bombing campaign that has killed some 2,750 Palestinians, including hundreds of women and children.

Israel had threatened to launch a ground invasion on 16 August after making the impossible demand that 1.1 million people in Gaza’s north leave their homes and evacuate to the southern half of the besieged strip.

Iran has warned it may enter the conflict on the side of Hamas, its close ally in the axis of resistance, should Israel launch the invasion.

Iran sent a message to Israel through the UN on Saturday stressing that it does not want further escalation in the Hamas-Israel war, but that it will have to intervene if the Israeli operation in Gaza continues, two diplomatic sources with knowledge of the situation told Axios.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu by phone, expressing “serious concern about the likelihood of the conflict escalating into a regional war."

Putin told Netanyahu that Moscow wanted to help prevent a humanitarian disaster in Gaza and work towards "ending the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation and achieving a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means.”

Russia is trying to achieve a ceasefire by putting forward a resolution in the UN Security Council.