Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at least 13,000 “terrorists” were among the Palestinians killed in Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and vowed to continue the offensive in the south of the enclave, which US President Joe Biden has called his “red “. line”, Reuters and News.ro report.

Nearly 31,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the five-month war that began after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostage, according to Israeli figures.

Gaza’s health ministry did not specify the number of civilian and Hamas casualties, but said 72 percent of the dead were women and children.

Hamas dismisses Israel’s death toll as an attempt to present “false victories.”

Netanyahu told German media group Axel Springer, which owns Politico, German newspaper Bild and Welt TV, that expanding Israel’s offensive in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, was essential to defeating Hamas.

“We are very close to victory… Once we start military operations against the remaining terrorist battalions in Rafah, there will only be a few weeks” until the intense phase of fighting ends, Bild newspaper quoted Netanyahu as saying.

Biden calls for evacuation of civilians from Rafah before offensive

Biden and his aides have strongly urged Netanyahu not to launch a major offensive on Rafah until Israel develops a plan for the mass evacuation of civilians.

More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have taken refuge in the Rafah area.

Asked by MSNBC on Saturday if the Rafah invasion would be a red line, Biden said: “It is a red line, but I will never leave Israel. Israel’s defense remains critical. So there’s no red line (where) I’m going to cut off all arms shipments so they don’t have Iron Dome to protect them.”

Politico quoted Netanyahu as saying on Sunday that Israeli forces would advance to Rafah, adding: “You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is, that October 7th will not happen again. It won’t happen again.” .never”.

Three-quarters of Hamas’ battalions have been destroyed, and halting the offensive now will only allow them to regroup, Bild quoted Netanyahu as saying.