Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared an unwavering commitment to the offensive against Hamas, dismissing calls for de-escalation amid mounting casualties.
In a visit to troops in the northern Gaza Strip, Netanyahu asserted, “We are not stopping. The war will continue until the end, until we finish it, no less.”
The pledge comes on the heels of one of Gaza’s deadliest nights, with over 100 reported casualties in Israeli airstrikes. Retaliation for a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 has drawn international concern, urging a shift to lower-intensity operations to minimize civilian deaths. Netanyahu, however, remained resolute, emphasizing the necessity of military pressure to free remaining hostages.
Amidst the devastation, Palestinian mourners gathered at a funeral in Gaza, where at least 70 were killed in an airstrike on Maghazi. A grieving man, Ibrahim Youssef, questioned the targeting of civilians: “What did they do wrong? Were there resistance fighters here?”
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As airstrikes continued into Monday, Pope Francis condemned the situation in a Christmas message, highlighting the plight of children as the “little Jesuses of today” and criticizing Israeli strikes for reaping an “appalling harvest” of innocent civilians.
The Israeli army, while committing to minimizing harm to civilians, maintained that Hamas operates in densely populated areas, an assertion denied by Hamas.