Israel’s future hinges on Gaza war, Netanyahu claims

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Sunday that Israel's future depends on continuing the war in the Gaza Strip.

"We are committed to absolute victory, and we do not want, nor can we afford, to leave the arena, because the future of the state depends on it, and we have no choice but to do so," he claimed in a statement released by his office.

"We are also committed to the release of hostages through various means, I will not delve into the details," he added.

On Saturday, the Israeli army freed four hostages during a military operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The operation coincided with the killing of more than 274 Palestinians and the injury of 700 others in bombardment of the camp.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 37,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and nearly 84,500 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.