Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the phase of intense fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip is about to end, but that the war would not end until the Palestinian militant group no longer controls the enclave.
Once the intense fighting is over, Netanyahu said, Israel will be able to redeploy more forces to the north border with Lebanon, but primarily for “defensive purposes.”
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday reported attacks on Hamas’ infrastructure in southern Gaza’s Rafah while in central Gaza, the Israeli army continued military operations, killing numerous militants and seizing weapons.
In a statement issued on Monday morning, Hamas said Netanyahu’s expression clearly exposes his objection to a ceasefire resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council and also a peace deal proposed by the United States.
Hamas called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel, stop its war against the Palestinian people while urging the U.S. government to stop supporting genocide wars in Gaza and against the Palestinian people.