Israeli forces are "intensifying" operations inside the Gaza Strip and will continue to fight until victory over Hamas is achieved, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement released Sunday, Paralel.Az reports citing CNN.

"Citizens of Israel, we are intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip. We will continue to fight until absolute victory over Hamas. This is the only way to return our hostages, eliminate Hamas and ensure that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel," Netanyahu said.

"This will take time, but we are united – the soldiers, the people and the government. We are united and determined to fight until the end," he said.

Netanyahu also talked about the Israeli soldiers, who were killed during military operations in Gaza.

"The war has a price, a very heavy price in the lives of our heroic soldiers, and we will do everything to safeguard the lives of our soldiers. However, there is one thing we will not do: We will not stop until we achieve victory," he said

Netanyahu's statement comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday during a news conference that the conflict "needs to move to a lower-intensity phase."