Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited northern Gaza on Tuesday and pledged to escalate military operations against Hamas until all of Israel’s war objectives are achieved.

Netanyahu was joined by Defence Minister Israel Katz and military chief Eyal Zamir. The delegation received a security briefing from field commanders, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The visit came as Gaza health officials reported that the death toll from the 18-month Israeli offensive has exceeded 51,000.

Netanyahu praised Israeli forces for what he described as “a remarkable job” and vowed that Hamas would continue to “absorb more and more blows.”

Defence Minister Katz echoed the sentiment, stating that the military campaign would intensify until Hamas agrees to release hostages and is ultimately dismantled.

Israeli military operations have continued throughout the Gaza Strip. Earlier Tuesday, a strike near the gate of a hospital in Khan Younis reportedly killed a medic and injured nine others, including patients and hospital staff.

An Israeli military spokesperson said the strike targeted a senior Hamas commander and was carried out with precision munitions to minimize collateral damage.

Also on Tuesday, Netanyahu told French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call that he remains firmly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state. He warned that such a state would serve as “a stronghold of Iranian terrorism” and described international support for Palestinian statehood as “a major reward for terrorism.”

He added that “an overwhelming majority of the Israeli public strongly opposes” the idea.