An Israeli army self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on Oct. 11, 2023. Israel's border communities have since been evacuated and the military said Tuesday it had regained control of the Gaza-Israel border, through which Hamas had launched its surprise offensive. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak told CNBC's "Squawk Box" Wednesday that Israeli ground forces would take over the Gaza Strip in a matter of days. Israeli soldiers gather near Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) near Israel's border with Lebanon, northern Israel, October 9, 2023. For now, however, a cease-fire looks nigh-on impossible, with the conflict likely about to enter a "hot" phase of active operations on the ground.

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