Israel’s defence minister has said the war against Hamas could take “months” but insisted it would be the last against the group.

“It will take one month, two months, three months, and at the end there will be no more Hamas,” Yoav Gallant said at an air force base whose location was not given by the defence ministry.

“Before Hamas makes contact with our tanks and our infantry, they will know the shells from our air force,” he said, adding that Israel’s fighter jets “know how to make this precise, qualitative and mortal”.

“This should be the last war in Gaza, for the simple reason that there will be no more Hamas,” Gallant said.