Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will continue its war against Hamas “until we achieve all our goals”, writes BBC.

In a video statement recorded before the cabinet met to discuss a possible hostage deal, he said “nonsense” was being spoken to the effect that the war would be stopped once the hostages were released.

Netanyahu described the hostages" return as a “sacred and top goal”.

“In war there are phases and in returning the hostages there are phases but we will not stop until we have total victory, until we return all of them”, he said. “That’s the holy duty of all of us”.

The elimination of Hamas was also a goal, he said, “and that there won’t be anything in Gaza that threatens Israel again”.