Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Ben Dor told Sputnik Arabic radio that “Israel insists on continuing military action until Tel Aviv achieves its strategic goals against Hamas and Islamic Jihad.”
Ben Dor spoke out strongly about the impossibility of negotiations with Hamas.
“They (Hamas) want to create a Palestinian state on the ruins of our country, not side by side with it, and that is why we do not intend to cooperate with them - we will crush them and win".
He added that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are determined to cleanse Gaza of terrorism, but he doesn't know how the ground operation will develop. However, Ben Dor reiterated that the possibility of returning to negotiations will appear only after achieving the goals of the military operation in the Gaza Strip.
In addition, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman stated that when targeting buildings where terrorists are sheltering, the IDF will consider the presence of Israeli hostages nearby. Nevertheless, he assured that the Israeli military is "determined to continue the war to achieve all our goals".
Ben Dor emphasized the strong ties between Israel and the United States, but also noted that Israel has many other allies who support its right to self-defence.
"Israeli citizens understand that their country faces a long war. However, we are ready for this from an economic and political point of view, we are ready to pay any price to ensure a secure future for Israel," he added.
According to recent reports, Operation Iron Swords is ongoing. On the night of 10 October, Israel terminated the water supply to the Gaza Strip and continued its bombardment.