Israel PM Netanyahu, military chief double down on continuing Gaza war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir have doubled down on the country's military campaign in Gaza, even as Israelis call for an end to the war and a deal to release of captives held in the enclave.

Marking Israel's so-called 'Independence Day' at the annual Bibe Contest in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that "we have many goals, many goals in this war. We want to bring all our hostages home."

"It's a very important goal, but there is a superior goal. The supreme objective is victory over our enemies, and this we will achieve," he was quoted as saying by The Times of Israel.

His comments were echoed by Zamir, who doubled down on using military means to release the remaining Israeli captives at a ceremony honouring soldiers at the residence of Israel's president.

"We are tasked with defeating Hamas, returning the evacuees to their homes, and establishing a stable and secure security reality, which will last for generations.

"We will use all the power at our disposal, increase the pace and intensity of the operation. If requires, we will do so soon, with determination in the righteousness of our path," he added.

Zamir's comments come amid reports that the army is set to issue new draft orders for tens of thousands of reservists ahead of an expansion of the assault on Gaza.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a representative body of Israeli captives held in Gaza, blasted Netanyahu's comments, saying: "Prime Minister, returning the hostages is not 'less important,' it is the supreme goal that should guide the Israeli government."

The group also said it was worried that Netanyahu was aligning himself with far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who himself said the freeing of captives was not the main goal of the war, noting that the comments are "in opposition to the overwhelming majority of the Israeli public who want the return of the hostages above all else".

Since Israel reimposed a devastating siege on Gaza and renewed its military offensive on the enclave, which so far has killed 2,236 people according to Gaza's health authorities, Israelis have been protesting and petitioning the government to reach a ceasefire deal for the release of captives.

The initiators of the petitions have claimed that 150,000 people have signed, according to Haaretz, with protest action occurring on Thursday by reservists who have signed.

This includes veterans of Israel's special operations units who protested outside the US embassy's Tel Aviv branch, as well as a group of active and retired navy commando reservists from Shayetet 13 on a beach in Caesarea.

The latest ceasefire proposal, which would see a five-year truce between Israel and Hamas and the release of all remaining captives, was rejected by Israel. 

The 18-month war on Gaza has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials and has destroyed much of the enclave, leaving most of the population displaced.

Israel's actions, namely its siege of Gaza, are being scrutinised by the International Court of Justice, which is looking into Israel's humanitarian obligations towards the Palestinian people living under occupation.

Israel has also been accused of breaching the genocide convention in a separate case that is also being reviewed by the ICJ.