TEL AVIV, Dec  24, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu said Sunday that the Gaza war was exacting a "very heavy price" as
the toll of soldiers killed in fighting with Hamas mounted.

"This is a difficult morning, after a very difficult day of fighting in
Gaza," he said after the army announced 14 soldiers had been killed in the
Palestinian territory since Friday.

Another soldier was killed on Sunday, the army announced, taking to 15 the
number of troops killed since Friday and 154 since Israel's ground assault
began on October 27.

"The war is exacting a very heavy price... but we have no choice but to
keep fighting," Netanyahu said in a statement.

"We are continuing with full force until the end, until victory, until we
achieve all of our goals: the destruction of Hamas, the return of our hostages
and ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to the State of
Israel."

He added: "This will be a long war... (until) Hamas is eliminated and we
restore security."

Later on Sunday, in a new statement, Netanyahu vowed to protect the lives
of soldiers.

"We are intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip," he said. "We will do
everything to safeguard the lives of our soldiers. However... we will not stop
until we achieve victory."

The military lost 10 soldiers in Gaza on Saturday, making it one of the
deadliest days for Israeli troops since fighting began on October 7, triggered
by a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel.

Israeli forces also face Hezbollah militants across its northern border
with Lebanon.