Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said defeating Hamas remains his primary objective in Gaza, while adding that returning hostages still held by the militant group was "a very important goal."

Netanyahu, addressing an Independence Day event in Jerusalem, said Israel had "many goals" in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to The Times of Israel.

"We want to bring all our hostages home. We’ve so far brought back 147 alive, and 196 total,” he said. “There are another up to 24 alive, 59 total, and we want to return the living and the dead.”

“It’s a very important goal,” Netanyahu said. “The war has a supreme........

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