Netanyahu defends military push in Gaza, says no choice but to defeat Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended the war cabinet's decision to authorise the movement of the Israeli army back into the Gaza Strip. The stated objective is to defeat Hamas and completely demilitarise the area, a move justified by what is described as the Hamas terrorist organisation's refusal to disarm. According to Netanyahu, Israel has "no choice but to complete the job". Concurrently, he stated that Israel is working to increase the distribution of humanitarian aid and has invited other countries to assist in these efforts. The Israeli army is proceeding with the operation to demilitarize the Gaza Strip while facilitating a humanitarian surge.