Speaking to an audience at the Israeli West Bank settlement of Eli, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war against Hamas in Gaza will result in total victory and will not amount to just another round of exchanges, the Prime Minister's Office reported on Tuesday.
"This is not 'another round,' not just exchanges of blows, not just another operation - this is an absolute victory.
Netanyahu: 'Israel aims only for victory'
"No less than that. I am committed to it, our soldiers are committed to it, and the absolute majority of the people are committed to it. We will not settle for anything less than an absolute victory," Netanyahu said.
"I hear statements about various deals, so I want to make this clear: we will not end this war with anything less than achieving all our goals. This means eliminating Hamas, returning all our captives, and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," he added.
"We will not withdraw the IDF from the Gaza Strip, and we will not release thousands of terrorists. None of this will happen. What will happen? An absolute victory."
Netanyahu's statement comes amid political tensions and reports that Israel's emergency war government might collapse if Netanyahu rejects a potential deal for the release of the hostages.