Netanyahu: Gaza Offensive to Continue As Long As Necessary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his ministers on Sunday that the military campaign against Gaza militants would continue until peace is restored to southern Israel.

"Operation Protective Edge will continue until its aims are achieved... it may take time," he said of the Gaza offensive launched on July 8, in remarks broadcast by public radio.

At a special session of the cabinet, held at the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, he repeated a warning of harsh retribution for the death of an Israeli child on Friday in a rocket strike on a kibbutz near the Gaza border.

"Hamas is paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy price for the crimes it carries out," Netanyahu said.

"I call on residents of Gaza to immediately leave any structure from which Hamas carries out terror activity against us. All such sites are a target for us." 

He added a veiled warning to neighboring Lebanon and Syria after overnight rocket fire into Israeli territory.

"There is not and will not be any immunity for anyone who fires at Israeli citizens and that is true for every sector and every border," he said.

Earlier on Sunday, five rockets fired from Syrian-controlled territory slammed into the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights but caused no casualties, the Israeli army said.

Late Saturday, a rocket fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel, causing damage but no casualties, police and the army said.

Israel has so far not responded.