Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said that Israel has “no choice” but to continue its military campaign in Gaza.
He pledged to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed, the hostages are freed, and the region no longer poses a threat.
Netanyahu has been facing pressure, with frustration growing among the families of Israeli hostages, reservist soldiers, and retired veterans. Demonstrations have become more frequent, calling on the government to secure the release of the remaining 59 hostages held by Hamas.
Despite these calls, Netanyahu insisted: “I believe we can bring our hostages home without surrendering to Hamas’s dictates. We are at a critical stage of the campaign, and at this point, we need patience and determination to win.”
In a televised statement on Saturday, Netanyahu said he would not retreat from his commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining weapons of mass destruction. “I’m committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. I will not give up on this, I will not let go of it, and I will not retreat from it — not even by a millimetre,” he said.
90 Palestinians killed in 48 hours
Netanyahu’s remarks came after reports from Gaza’s health ministry said more than 90 Palestinians had been killed in 48 hours of Israeli airstrikes. Many of the victims were women and children. Among the dead were 15 people killed overnight, including those in a tent in the so-called “humanitarian zone” of Muwasi in Khan Younis. Four others, including a mother and her daughter, were killed in Rafah.
In central Gaza, a separate airstrike west of Nuseirat killed one civilian, according to Al-Awda Hospital.
The Israeli military claimed it had killed more than 40 militants over the weekend, while confirming the death of one soldier in northern Gaza — the first since the war resumed on March 18.
Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza for the past six weeks, halting the entry of food and essential goods. Aid agencies say the territory is facing a hunger crisis. The UN warned that thousands of children are becoming malnourished and most people are surviving on just one meal a day.
The war, now stretching beyond six months, began with Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7. 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251. While many hostages have since been released, Hamas is still holding 59, of whom 24 are believed to be alive.
Israel’s military response has killed more than 51,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and displaced around 90% of the population. Entire neighbourhoods lie in ruins, and most of Gaza’s food production has been wiped out.
