Israel's Netanyahu says to "increase pressure" on Hamas

JERUSALEM, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday pledged to intensify the military crackdown on Hamas.

In a video address, Netanyahu threatened action "in the coming days," without elaborating on the time and place.

"We will strike it with additional painful blows -- and this will happen soon," he said.

He said that in the next few days, Israel "will increase the military and diplomatic pressure on Hamas because this is the only way to free our hostages and achieve our victory."

Netanyahu has previously stated that the Israeli military will initiate a ground assault on Rafah, despite international calls to refrain from such action due to the expected toll it would exact on more than 1 million civilians seeking shelter in Gaza's southern city.