Israel will enter Rafah with or without Gaza hostage deal, Netanyahu says

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will carry out an operation against Hamas in the southern Gaza city of Rafah regardless of whether or not a ceasefire and hostage release deal is reached, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.

"The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all its objectives is out of the question," Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch. Editing by Andrew MacAskill)