Israel's operation in Gaza's Khan Younis expected to last 3 to 4 weeks more

A senior Israeli defense official told Axios Israel expects to end its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis in three to four weeks. The high-intensity phase of the war would likely last another three to four weeks, the official said.

The Biden administration has backed the Israeli operation in Gaza and says it supports Israel's stated goal of ousting Hamas in Gaza but the White House is under mounting international and domestic pressure to tell Israel to end the war.

More than 17,400 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the ministry of health in Hamas-run Gaza.

A senior Israeli official said Israeli Defense Forces "have made significant progress" in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, but that the operation in the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israel believes Hamas leadership is located, "has just started."

President Biden spoke on Thursday to Prime Minister Netanyahu about the Israeli military plans and the operation in Khan Younis. A similar call was held last night between U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.

The senior Israeli official said the US isn't "pulling the brakes" or giving Israel a firm deadline to stop the operation but pointing to the fact that time is running out.

The gap between the Biden administration and the Israeli government is about the one-month timetable Israel is giving for ending the high-intensity phase of the Gaza war, the official said.

White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told the Aspen Security Forum in Washington on Thursday that the US hasn't given a firm deadline to Israel.

The Israeli defense official said the US would be satisfied if Israel ended the high intensity phase of the operation by the end of December, while Israel is aiming for the end of January.