FRANKFURT - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that approximately 13,000 "terrorists" were among the Palestinians killed in Israel's conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He pledged to continue the offensive in the southern enclave, an action U.S. President Joe Biden has warned against.

Over the course of the five-month-long conflict, nearly 31,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Gaza. The conflict ignited after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the seizure of 253 hostages, according to Israeli reports. The Gaza health ministry, however, has not differentiated between civilian and militant casualties, but has emphasized that 72% of those killed were women and children. Hamas has dismissed Israel's figures regarding militant casualties as attempts to fabricate triumphs.

In an interview with German media company Axel Springer, which owns Politico and Germany's Bild newspaper and broadcaster Welt TV, Netanyahu emphasized the significance of extending Israel's offensive into Rafah in southern Gaza to dismantle Hamas. He stated, "We are very close to victory ... Once we begin military action against the remaining terror battalions in Rafah, it is only a question of weeks" until the intensive phase of fighting concludes.

Biden and his administration have strongly advised Netanyahu against launching a major offensive in Rafah without first devising a plan for the mass evacuation of civilians. More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are currently seeking refuge in the Rafah area. Responding to inquiries from MSNBC on Saturday about whether an invasion of Rafah would cross a red line, Biden remarked, "It is a red line but I'm never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical. So there's no red line (in which) I'm going to cut off all weapons so they don't have the Iron Dome to protect them."

Netanyahu reiterated to Politico on Sunday that Israeli forces would indeed advance into Rafah, stating, "You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is, that October 7 doesn't happen again. Never happens again." He emphasized that three-quarters of Hamas battalions had already been dismantled, and halting the offensive now would only provide them with an opportunity to regroup.