Netanyahu: Israel to target Gaza as long as necessary

"We extracted a high price from them and will continue to do so," Netanyahu said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting in al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Sunday, referring to the Palestinian resistance groups based in Gaza.

"We will act as long as necessary,” he added.

Eighteen Palestinians, including a 12-year-old child, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the besieged coastal sliver since Friday.

Thousands of mourners participated in a funeral procession for the victims on Saturday.

“We condemn the silence of the international community, including the United Nations Security Council and the UN General Assembly. Because it is clear now that Israel is a criminal entity and continues to defy all international laws. Therefore, it is our right to resist the occupier. We tell the world that we will defend our people using all available means,” said Abdullah Shami, a member of resistance group, Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, on Saturday.

Israeli warplanes and ground forces have been frequently attacking Gaza since the end of Tel Aviv’s December 2008-January 2009 war on the enclave, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians. Most of the victims of the attacks are civilians, including women and children.

Gaza has been blockaded since 2007, causing a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.

The full-scale land, aerial, and naval siege has turned the enclave into the world's largest open-air prison.