Gaza offensive still in early stages: Netanyahu vows to 'destroy' Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas as the army prepares for an expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu delivered the threat in a nationally televised address late Friday.

Israel has been pounding Gaza with airstrikes since Hamas militants carried out an unprecedented cross-border attack last Saturday, killing over 1,300 people in a brutal rampage. Early Friday, Israel ordered half of Gaza's population to evacuate their homes.

This is just the beginning, Netanyahu said. We will end this war stronger than ever.

We will destroy Hamas, he added, saying Israel has widespread international support for the operation.