Defence minister tells 'friends and enemies' Israel will achieve war aims

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told Israel's "enemies and friends" that it would do whatever necessary to achieve its war objectives in Gaza and the north, in an apparent response to US pressure to halt its operation in Rafah.

Gallant made the comments on Wednesday, after US President Joe Biden warned he would halt weapons supplies if Israel invades Rafah. 

"I turn to Israel's enemies as well as to our best of friends and say - the State of Israel cannot be subdued," he said, according to remarks released by his office.

"We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals - we will hit Hamas, we will hit Hezbollah, and we will achieve security."

The comments highlight the scale of the standoff between the Biden administration and the Israeli government.