'This is a time for war': Netanyahu quotes Bible to justify Israeli onslaught in Gaza

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said Israel would not agree to a cease-fire in Gaza, where it has continued heavy bombardment for three weeks, and quoted Bible that "this is a time for war."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says that 'there is a time for peace and a time for war.' This is a time for war. A war for our common future," Netanyahu said in English at a press briefing organized for foreign media.

He said Israel would not agree to "cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attack" of Oct. 7, just as the US did not do so after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or after the attacks of 9/11.

Earlier, he had invoked the theory of Amalekites, a tribe mentioned in the Torah, to justify his actions in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The Israeli army widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas.

Over 9,800 people have been killed in the conflict, including 8,306 Palestinians and 1,538 Israelis.