JERUSALEM

Top Israeli officials vowed Thursday to continue its war on the Gaza Strip despite US President Joe Biden’s decision to freeze arms transfer to Tel Aviv over its offensive on the southern city of Rafah.

“I say to the leaders of the world — no amount of pressure, no decision from any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself,” Netanyahu said in a video message on X.

“As prime minister of Israel, the only Jewish state, I pledge that if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone,” he added.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also vowed that Israel will “achieve its goals” and “can’t be subdued.”

“I say from here to Israel’s enemies and its best friends: The State of Israel cannot be subdued — not the IDF (army), not the Defense Ministry, not the defense establishment, not the State of Israel. We will stand, we will achieve our goals,” he said at a military ceremony.

“Whatever the cost, we will ensure the existence of the State of Israel,” he added. “We will hit Hamas, we will destroy Hezbollah, and we will bring security.”

Biden said in an interview on CNN on Wednesday that he paused arms transfer to Israel over its offensive on Rafah, where some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians have sheltered from Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

"I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven't gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem," Biden said.

His decision has triggered a storm of anger inside Israel with several government officials opening fire on the US president.

Biden acknowledged that US weapons have been used to kill civilians in Gaza.

The US president added that Israel's actions in Rafah so far have yet to cross any "red lines" that would prompt him to overhaul his Gaza policy.

Early Thursday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on government officials to refrain from making “irresponsible” statements about the US president.

Israel has killed more than 34,900 people and injured 78,500 others in a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack that claimed nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023.

Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala