Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that Israel is “intensifying” the war in the Gaza Strip and will continue to fight until Hamas is eliminated and the Israelis taken hostage are returned.

Netanyahu, speaking in Hebrew, addressed the video message to Israeli citizens, saying that while it will take time to bring the war to a conclusion, Israel will “fight to the end.”

“Israeli citizens, we are intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue to fight until the complete victory over Hamas. This is the only way to return our abductees, eliminate Hamas and ensure that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel.”

“Citizens of Israel, we are intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip. We will continue to fight until absolute victory over Hamas. This is the only way to return our hostages, eliminate Hamas and ensure that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel.

This will take time, but we are united – the soldiers, the people and the Government. We are united and determined to fight until the end.

The war has a price, a very heavy price in the lives of our heroic soldiers, and we will do everything to safeguard the lives of our soldiers. However, there is one thing we will not do: We will not stop until we achieve victory.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)