Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday evening that the occupation is at a critical stage of the war, stressing that it will not submit to the dictates of Hamas.

Netanyahu added in a televised address: "This war has exacted a heavy toll, and I wish a speedy recovery to the wounded soldiers and combatants injured in the fighting. I have directed the army to respond forcefully and increase the pressure on Hamas."

He continued: "We are at a crucial stage of the battle, and what is required is patience to achieve victory.

We will not surrender to Hamas, and if we do not eliminate its military capabilities, what happened on October 7 will happen again."

Netanyahu stressed that the occupation army will not end the war on Gaza before eliminating Hamas and returning the prisoners it holds.

He added: "Many of those who spoke out today against our aggressive policies opposed every step we took, and this reflects the extent of hypocrisy.

As for Iran's branch in Gaza, if we do not complete the destruction of Hamas's military and governmental capabilities, a repeat of what happened in October will only be a matter of time."

He pointed out that Hamas has so far rejected any proposal that would lead to the release of half of the living hostages. Hamas is demanding an end to the war while maintaining its rule, the withdrawal of the occupation from Gaza, and reconstruction with massive financial support that would enable it to rearm and launch new attacks.

Netanyahu emphasized that ending the war on these terms would send a message that the kidnapping of Israelis forces the occupation to its knees and subject it to dictates, posing a threat to regional and international security and undermining US President Donald Trump's vision of radically changing the reality in Gaza.

He concluded by saying, "We will not end this war until Hamas is destroyed, all hostages are returned, and the Gaza Strip is guaranteed not to pose a renewed threat to the occupation."