Blaming Hamas for starting a week of hostilities, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said Israel would continue to strike Gaza as long as necessary and will do its best to avoid civilian casualties.

"The party that bears the guilt for this confrontation is not us, it's those attacking us," Netanyahu said in a televised speech. "We are still in the midst of this operation, it is still not over and this operation will continue as long as necessary."

"Unlike Hamas, which deliberately intends to harm civilians while hiding behind civilians, we are doing everything, but everything, to avoid or limit as much as possible harming civilians and to directly strike terrorists instead."