Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has told the country’s “enemies and friends” that it would do whatever necessary to achieve its aims in Gaza and the north, in an apparent response to US pressure to halt its operation in Rafah, Reuters reports.

“I turn to Israel’s enemies as well as to our best of friends and say — the State of Israel cannot be subdued,” he said, according to remarks released by his office.

“We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals — we will hit Hamas, we will hit Hezbollah, and we will achieve security.

“We have no choice, we have no other country. We will do whatever is necessary, and I repeat — whatever is necessary, in order to defend the citizens of Israel, to remove the evil threats against us, and to stand up to those who attempt to destroy us,” he said.