The war between Israel and Hamas “must not be stopped” until Israel “eliminates” Hamas, returns its hostages and ensures Gaza is “no longer a threat”, the Israeli Prime Minister said on Saturday.
Benjamin Netanyahu also referred to the situation on Israel’s northern border, where Israeli forces are increasingly fighting Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
“We are fighting to restore security both in the south and in the north,” he said. “Until then and for that purpose, we must put everything aside and continue with joint forces until complete victory is achieved.”
In recent weeks Israel scaled back its military assault in northern Gaza and pressed its offensive heavily in the territory’s south, vowing to crush Hamas.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians are being squeezed into smaller areas in the south, while still being pounded by Israeli airstrikes.
The death toll from fighting has risen to 22,722 with 58,166 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
That’s an average of 247 people per day, with the conflict now in its 92nd day.
The ministry said two-thirds of those killed were women or children, adding that 122 Palestinians had been killed over the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah traded fire Saturday in one of the heaviest days of cross-border fighting in recent weeks.
Dozens of bodies of those killed due to Israeli bombing arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the Palestinian city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, where mourners gathered for funeral prayers before taking the dead for burial.
The search for victims continued at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, following Israeli airstrikes.
Palestinian Civil Defence said ambulances were unable to reach the targeted areas due to the intensity of the bombing, and widespread devastation.
