Israel must avoid war of attrition with Hamas, says Israeli minister of defence

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has stressed the urgency of shifting tactics in Gaza to eliminate Hamas and bring the war to an end. 

Katz asked the Israeli army to present him with a plan for a "decisive victory" against Hamas which it has not been able to achieve so far, Haaretz reported. 

"We must not be dragged into a war of attrition in Gaza," Katz warned adding that "a political solution for Gaza is not relevant…because no Arab nation or other authority will take responsibility for managing the Strip's civilian life as long as Hamas has not been completely crushed," the statement concluded.

Katz's words reflect a deep unease in Israel that more than 15 months after Israel's war on Gaza the military has not decisively defeated Hamas.