Israel-Palestine conflict: Biden urges 'de-escalation', Netanyahu says will press on

New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue with the operations against Gaza`s ruling Hamas militants after US President Joe Biden urged for a "de-escalation" on Wednesday as the conflict enters the 10th day.

In a statement Netanyahu said: "I am determined to continue this operation until its objective is achieved - to restore quiet and security to you, the citizens of Israel." 

Earlier, the Israeli media quoted Netanyahu as saying: "We`re not standing with a stopwatch. We want to achieve the goals of the operation. Previous operations lasted a long time so it is not possible to set a timeframe."

In response to Biden`s de-escalation call, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam said those who sought to restore calm must "compel Israel to end its aggression in Jerusalem and its bombardment of Gaza". Once that happened, Qassam said, "there can be room to talk about arrangements to restore calm".

On Wednesday, the White House in a statement said that President Joe Biden had conveyed message to Israel's prime minister saying the former expected a "a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire."

Although, the two sides have agreed to a ceasefire, in principle, after help from mediators, but the details are being negotiated in secret amid public denials of a deal to prevent it from collapsing, Reuters quoted an Egyptian security source.

The Palestinian medical officials claim 227 people had been killed in aerial bombardments that have destroyed roads, buildings and other infrastructure, and worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

While Israeli authorities put the death toll in Israel at 12 where repeated rocket attacks have caused panic and sent people rushing into shelters. 

Notably, Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem amid eviction protests, which left scores of Palestinians and police officers wounded. Following which Hamas fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.