Palestinians reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks on Monday in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly".

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel “has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas.” He is speaking to foreign media in Jerusalem and defending a planned military offensive. He asserts that “our goal is not to occupy Gaza, our goal is to free Gaza.”