“Israel will continue the war against Hamas with or without international support,” Cohen stated at a meeting with Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts.
“The ceasefire at the current stage is a gift to the Hamas terrorist organization and will allow it to return and threaten the people of Israel,” he added.
On October 7, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing over 1,200 people and abducting some 240 others.
Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza and launched a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 18,600 people have been killed so far in Gaza as a result of the escalation, the local authorities confirmed.
The Gaza Strip was divided into north and south sections by the Israeli army in November.