Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday Israel would take responsibility for security in the Gaza Strip indefinitely, once its military operations in the besieged Palestinian territory are complete. Netanyahu also rejected international calls for a ceasefire to allow the unfettered delivery of humanitarian aid.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Well, there will be no ceasefire, general ceasefire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages. As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there, we’ve had them before. I suppose we’ll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods, to come in, or hostages, individual hostages, to leave. But I don’t think there’s going to be a general ceasefire.”