Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear on Friday afternoon, in a statement to the press before the start of Shabbat, that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza without the release of the hostages being held by Hamas.

“Our forces are operating in all sectors and with all their might. Our victory will be sharp and clear.It will deliver a message to our enemies, a message that will resonate for generations,” stated Netanyahu.

“The goal of our enemies is the destruction of the State of Israel. I tell you, and I tell them - our enemies will fail.They will be defeated.We will not let up until victory, until the goals we set are achieved - the elimination of Hamas, the return of our hostages and the return of security to our citizens and our children,” he added.

“Our soldiers fight with extraordinary courage. They fight fierce battles, face to face.They eliminate terrorists around the clock.They operate in the field, while the Air Force's unprecedented air strike against Hamas-ISIS continues.

“Regarding the north - I repeat and say to our enemies: Do not underestimate us. A mistake will cost you dearly.A mistake will cost you a price you can't even imagine,” warned Netanyahu in the remarks, which came as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech.

“At the same time, we continue to operate on the political front. I met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this morning.I appreciate his visit here.I appreciate the consistent support of President Biden, the American administration and the American people,” continued the Prime Minister.

“I showed Secretary of State Blinken a video from the cameras in the Gaza Strip. He spoke about it.One of the horrible things we saw were two young brothers who see their father being murdered.One of them loses his sight, calls his mother.And that's just some of the horrors in this video.

“I made it clear that we continue with all our might, and that Israel refuses a temporary ceasefire that does not include the release of our hostages. Israel does not allow entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip and opposes the transfer of funds to the Gaza Strip.

“Citizens of Israel, since the outbreak of the terrible war on that dark Shabbat, we have lost hundreds of men and women of the security forces, the police and the rescue forces. We lost wonderful fighters, wonderful Israelis, salt of the earth, people who simply stopped these monsters with their bodies, sometimes with their fingernails,” Netanyahu continued.

“Every fallen victim of ours leaves a deep hole in our hearts. Each of them is an entire world to his family, his friends, his parents, his lovers and all of us.Each of them sacrificed their lives for our lives.On behalf of the entire nation, I wish to send condolences to the bereaved families.I know firsthand the depth of bereavement.We grieve for every fallen soldier.We aim to operate with minimal risk to our forces, but we will do whatever it takes to achieve victory over our enemies.With God's help, and with your help, citizens of Israel, we will do and succeed.Together we will win,” he concluded.

(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)