Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed reports that the United States had convinced Israel not to expand its military activity during a weekly cabinet meeting, Reuters reports.

“I have seen false publications claiming that the US prevented and is preventing us from operational operations in the region,” Netanyahu said, without elaborating on the reports.

“This is not true. Israel is a sovereign state. Our decisions in the war are based on our operational considerations, and I will not elaborate on that,” he said.

Netanyahu insisted that Israel’s actions are “not dictated by external pressures.”

“The decision on how to use our forces is an independent decision of the IDF and no-one else,” Netanyahu said.