Israel is prepared to continue fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the army completes its primary mission of destroying cross-border tunnels from the Palestinian territory, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
In a news conference in Tel Aviv on Saturday, Netanyahu said the Israeli army "will act and continue to act" according to the country's security needs, adding that Hamas will pay an "intolerable price" should there be more attacks.
Netanyahu's latest statement contradicted earlier reports that some of the Israeli military operation will be winding down in the coming days.
Senior Hamas spokesperson Izzat al-Rishq called Netanyahu's speech "a declaration of failure and defeat".
Rishq said: "Netanyahu's speech underlines his frustration and defeat, and the recognition of the failure of this aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip," stressing that the speech was a "desperate attempt to raise the collapsed morale of his army".
He said: "we will hold the criminal Zionist enemy the full responsibility for the consequences of this aggression and the crimes committed against our unarmed civilians".
The Hamas official warned that "the Palestinian resistance will continue to respond to the Zionist aggression" and "we will always defend our people until the enemy stops its aggression, lift the siege and until we have our people's fair rights".
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