Israel says to continue Gaza war until hostages released

JERUSALEM

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Tel Aviv will continue its war on the Gaza Strip until the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Katz termed the Gaza offensive as a “war of necessity” against Hamas and the Iranian axis.

“We will not stop until the release of all our hostages and the dismantling of Hamas’s military and civil capabilities – in Gaza and in every place,” he added on X.

Cameron arrived in Israel on Wednesday as part of a Middle East tour that includes the West Bank, Qatar and Türkiye to push for an immediate humanitarian pause in the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Israel launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing more than 25,700 people. About 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack. Nearly 136 hostages are believed to be held by Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while more than half of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio