LONDON, December 11. /TASS/. The US has informed Israel that its military operation in the Gaza Strip should end before the arrival of the new year, The Economist writes, citing sources.

According to the publication, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered the message to the Israeli authorities during his recent visit to the country. The Economist also said that US President Joe Biden’s administration is demanding that Israel do much more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians, especially in southern Gaza.

The authoritative UK publication also reports that, although US officials have not publicly set any deadline for the Jewish state to complete its offensive on the positions of radical Palestinian movement Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has only a few weeks left to achieve success in the Gaza Strip before Tel Aviv’s key ally reduces the military support that the IDF critically needs.

Meanwhile, the publication views the likelihood of the IDF’s success as low. According to the article, if the US demands an end to the bombardment of Gaza, the IDF is most likely to continue a lower-intensity campaign. In such a situation, Hamas militants will continue to control parts of Gaza and Israel will fail to achieve its principal aim of destroying the perpetrators of the October 7 attack.

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again on October 7 after militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of border communities and taking over 200 people hostage. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel announced a total blockade of Gaza and started carrying out retaliatory strikes on targets in the Strip, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.