Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel was just one step from victory in Gaza and vowed there would be no ceasefire until Hamas releases all hostages.

“We are one step away from victory. But the price we paid is painful and heartbreaking,” he said in a cabinet address marking six months of the conflict that broke out on October 7.

“There will be no ceasefire without the return of hostages. It just won’t happen,” he added.