Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Says War Will Not End Even Though The Death Toll In Gaza Reaches 20,900 People

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (black clothes) visited his troops in Gaza. (Source: GPO/Avi Ohayon)

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military confirmed the war in the Gaza Strip would continue, when the death toll in the region reached 20,900.

PM Netanyahu visited Gaza's territory on Monday, a second visit to the region since the war broke out with Hamas on 7 October. Upon his return after the visit, he said the war in Gaza was far from over.

"This will be a long and unfinished fight. We need patience, cohesion, unity and compliance with missions," Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement published by his Party, Likud, quoted by CNN Dec. 27.

Speaking to his party colleagues, PM Netanyahu said he met soldiers in Gaza who told him to continue military operations.

"We do not stop, we continue to fight and deepen fighting in the future," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Tuesday it used ground, air and sea forces to attack what it called targets in Gaza.

"As part of the assistance to ground forces, dozens of IDF fighter jets attacked more than 100 Hamas targets, including tunnels, infrastructure, and military sites used to attack IDF forces," the IDF said.

The statement comes as Ron Dermer, considered one of the closest confidants of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, met with officials from the White House and the United States State Department on Tuesday to discuss the next stage of the war in Gaza.

Uncle Sam's country is known to expect Israel to stay away from the high-intensity war they have carried out for nearly three months in Gaza.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said more than 20,900 people in the Palestinian enclave were killed and 55,000 others injured as a result of Israeli attacks.