Israeli forces will shift from the “intense maneuvering phase of the war” toward “different types of special operations,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said.

“We’re close to the next phase in the north, including Gaza City,” where Israeli troops have largely established control, at least above ground, Gallant said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Monday.

As tens of thousands more civilians crowd into southern parts of Gaza, Gallant acknowledged that Israel’s military offensive needs “to take into consideration the huge number of civilians" and military tactics would need to adjust.

“It will take some time,” Gallant said. “But we aren’t going to give up.”

Key context: Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 22,600 people, 70% of whom are women and children, the Hamas-run health ministry said on Friday.

CNN cannot independently verify the casualty figures reported by the Gaza ministry due to limited access to the area and the challenges of confirming precise numbers during the ongoing conflict.