Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said achieving Israel’s objectives would not be quick or easy, Reuters reports.

“We will topple the Hamas organisation. We will destroy its military and governing infrastructure. It’s a phase that will not be easy. It will have a price,” Gallant told a parliamentary committee.

He added that the subsequent phase would be more drawn out, but was aimed at achieving “a completely different security situation” with no threat to Israel from Gaza. “It’s not a day, it’s not a week, and unfortunately it’s not a month,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel would not give up its effort to “return all abducted and missing people. “At the same time, we’ll continue to fight until victory.”