Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to continuing military operations in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, stressing that his government will not back down from its primary goal of "recovering the kidnapped soldiers and eliminating Hamas."

Netanyahu said in statements reported by Hebrew media that his government "will never give up on achieving victory in the war," adding, "We are determined to recover the detainees, and we will not allow the establishment of any Islamic caliphate, neither in the north nor in the south nor anywhere else."

Netanyahu pledged to continue military pressure on Hamas "until its complete elimination," stressing that the threat threatens not only Israel but the entire West.

"If the extremists defeat us, the Western world will be their next target," he said, believing that defeat by Iran would open the door to a direct threat to Western countries.

In a related context, Netanyahu pledged to continue working to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon, saying, "No country will prevent us from holding Iran accountable, and if necessary, we will stand alone."