Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said he was “moving on to a full-scale attack” on Hamas

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, at a meeting with the military on the border with the Gaza Strip, said that the Israeli army had "taken control of the situation" and was "going on a full-scale offensive," Haaretz and The Times of Israel reported. 

"I have removed all restrictions. Hamas wanted change in the Gaza Strip, and it will change 180 degrees compared to what the militants thought. They will regret this moment. Gaza will never return to what it was before. Whoever comes to behead, kill women and people who survived the Holocaust, we will destroy him," Galant said.

The minister also added that the war could drag on for "weeks or months."

Hamas militants attacked Israel on the morning of October 7. They fired several thousand rockets and broke into the border areas, engaging in battle with the Israeli military. In response, the Israeli army launched massive strikes on the Gaza Strip.  On the day of the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was entering a "long and difficult war." He also announced that the Israel Defense Forces had begun preparing for an offensive operation aimed at completely destroying the capabilities of Hamas.