Netanyahu inspects north Gaza, vows to continue fight

Jerusalem, Dec 26

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the northern Gaza Strip and vowed to continue the fight, his office has said.

Netanyahu on Monday visited the Palestinian enclave, where an ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has raged, together with Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Amir Baram, the Prime Minister's office was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

"We don't stop. The war continues to the end until we finish them, nothing less," Netanyahu told Israeli soldiers.

Meanwhile, at least two soldiers were killed on Monday in battles in Gaza, said the Israeli military, bringing the total death toll of Israeli soldiers since the outbreak of the conflict to 156.

Since the army began its offensive in response to Hamas' surprise attack on October 7, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and 240 hostages were taken, large parts of Gaza have been devastated and most of its 2.3 million population have been displaced.

At least 20,674 Palestinians were killed and 54,536 others wounded in the enclave, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry on Monday.