Israel bombed targets in Gaza today after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the army will destroy Hamas despite ongoing Cairo talks towards a ceasefire and hostage deal, AFP reports.

Netanyahu stressed — despite growing pressure from top ally the United States — that Israel would pursue the twin goals of bringing home the hostages and destroying Hamas after its October 7 attack.

“Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo,” the premier said in a video message Monday. “We are working all the time to achieve our goals, primarily the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas.”

He said Israeli forces would storm Gaza’s far-southern city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, despite global concern for the fate of up to 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering there.