Hezbollah has repeatedly attacked targets inside Israel with rockets and missiles, claiming to be in retaliation for similar moves by its opponents against the movement in Lebanon. (Source: Reuters)

ABC News reported that the Israeli military is preparing for a phased withdrawal from Gaza and is quietly urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas as quickly as possible.

The move is aimed at paving the way for what Israeli officials say could be a devastating war with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

If the goal was to curb Hamas's ability to wage war and remove it from power in Gaza, the Middle Eastern country has achieved that, an Israeli official said on July 3.

Several Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have signaled that Israel will begin to draw down its forces in Gaza as it enters what it calls “Phase C” of the war, with the number of troops tasked with “fighting hot spots and hunting high-level targets” significantly reduced.

Another Israeli official admitted to ABC News : “Hamas still has a big influence on what happens in Gaza, that’s the main problem. We need to try to have an alternative.”