Netanyahu Says Israel Will Not End Gaza War Until Hamas Is Gone After Weekend Airstrikes

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip will not end until all Hamas armed units are completely eliminated, following an airstrike carried out on Saturday targeting the group's military wing commander.

"Many of you are asking when this war will end. My answer is clear and unequivocal - this war will end only if we achieve all our goals, and not earlier. Victory is not an empty word. Victory will be achieved if we eliminate Hamas' military and governmental capacities, free our hostages, eliminate the threat to Gaza from Israel, and return our residents in the south and north safely to their homes," the prime minister said, as reported by TASS on July 14.

"This is a victory that will restore Israel's deterrent stance and send a clear signal to all our enemies that the cost of hurting us will be unacceptable to them," PM Netanyahu continued.

Netanyahu's speech concerned the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, which aims to eliminate the head of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif.

Separately, the health ministry in Gaza said at least 90 Palestinians were killed in a designated humanitarian zone in Gaza by Israeli air strikes on Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was still unclear whether Deif and other Hamas commanders had been killed in the strikes, vowing to continue targeting Hamas' leadership, saying more military pressure on the group would increase the chances of a hostage deal.

"In any case, we will reach the entire Hamas leadership," he said, according to Reuters.

The Hamas group denied Deif had been killed, according to a senior Hamas official on Al Jazeera TV.

Hamas has previously said Israel's claims it targeted the group's leaders were false and aimed at justifying the strikes, which were the deadliest Israeli strikes on Gaza in weeks.

In Sunday's announcement, health authorities in Gaza announced that 141 Palestinians were killed and 400 others were injured as a result of Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours, quoted from WAFA.

That brings the death toll of Palestinians to 38,584 and 88,881 others injured, with the majority of victims being women and children.