"No one determines for us what to do." Israel's defense minister promises to finish the mission in Gaza

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that despite the deaths of nine soldiers in a battle on Tuesday, the Israeli military is still engaged in combat in the Shejaiya neighborhood in northern Gaza.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Gallant stated, "It is our duty to complete this very heavy mission to dismantle Hamas, return the hostages home."

The number of Israeli soldiers killed in Shejaiya on Tuesday ranks among the highest since the start of their ground offensive in Gaza.

Gallant reiterated the statements made earlier on Wednesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who promised to fight "until the end."

“I say this also in view of the great pain but also in the face of international pressures. Nothing will stop us. We are going to win in the end," Netanyahu declared.

Additionally, Gallant expressed his conviction that Israel's ongoing military action in Gaza will "press" Hamas into accepting a new hostage-release agreement.

In response to a reporter's question about whether Israel has lately scaled back its airstrikes in Gaza in response to mounting international pressure, Gallant stated:

“We are hitting the Gaza Strip with great force. Both in the north and in the south. No one determines for us what to do.”