Gaza offensive to continue till all goals achieved: Israeli PM

Says that there will be no immunity for anyone who fires rockets, and that is relevant for every front and any person

Likening Hamas to the brutal Islamic State (IS) terror group, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today vowed to continue with Israel's offensive in Gaza "until all of its goals are achieved".

"We decided that there will be no immunity for anyone who fires rockets, and that is relevant for every front and any person," Netanyahu told his cabinet at its weekly meeting in reference to rocket fire at Israel from both the north and the south of Gaza.

At least 15 rockets fired from Gaza hit Israel's southern areas today morning.

Some five rockets were also fired from Syria and Lebanon at the northern Golan Heights and the Western Galilee, hitting an empty house, last night.

With regard to Israel's continuing operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Premier said that "Operation Protective Edge will continue until all of its goals are achieved, and this can take time".

"We are not alone in this - Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is Hamas...These are groups that execute their own members and have no issue killing children. Hamas recently admitted to kidnapping and killing Eyal, Naftali and Gilad (the three Israeli teenagers) and the world is wising up to this with every passing day," he said.

"They do not want human rights but rather a Caliphate," Netanyahu emphasised.

Addressing growing anger by residents of Israel's south, who were told that they could return home before ceasefire efforts collapsed and fighting started anew, Netanyahu said that he respects their endurance and feels their pain.

"Our enemies will not exhaust us, and they will receive attrition instead. We will continue to hit Hamas and Gaza terror groups," the Israeli Premier asserted.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry yesterday called on both sides to resume talks after a ten days lull mediated by Cairo collapsed around midnight on Tuesday witnessing another round of violence.

Local media reports quoted an Egyptian source as saying that Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas had informed his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, that Hamas was prepared to come to Cairo for further talks, but Hamas did not immediately confirm the report.

Israel also had no immediate comment.

Hamas has vowed that it will not stop fighting until the Israeli-Egyptian blockade on Gaza is lifted.

Israel has demanded demilitarisation of Gaza as part of any long-term truce agreement.

"My main goal is for the truce talks to resume in Egypt as soon as possible to avoid more casualties," Abbas said in Cairo.

Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the movement was "in favour of any real effort that will secure the achievement of Palestinian demands and we will study any proposal when presented".