NO CEASEFIRE: ISRAEL SAYS 'THIS IS A TIME FOR WAR'

CALLS for a ceasefire in Gaza have been rejected by the Israeli PM who said it would be a "surrender to Hamas".

- Liz Perkins

As the ground operation intensified, Benjamin Netanyahu insisted: "This is a time for war".

He vowed to consign the terror group to the "dustbin of history" and praised the rescue of a female army private in a military operation which he said put pressure on Hamas "monsters". He also indicated troops are pushing further into the Gaza Strip, warning operations "will escalate".

More than 2,000 Hamas fighters invaded Israeli territory on October 7, killing up to 1,400 people, including 332 members of the security forces.

More Jews were killed on that day than on any other since the Holocaust. But the spiralling death toll as Israel bombards Gaza has led to increasing calls for a ceasefire in the region.

Mr Netanyahu last night stood firm amid the criticism.

He said: "Just as the US would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or after the terrorist attack of 9/11, Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attacks of October 7.

"Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas to surrender to terrorism.