A "difficult morning," Netanyahu says, after 10 Israeli soldiers killed in one day

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya military base, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defence, in Tel Aviv on December 24. Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his government's condolences after 10 Israeli soldiers were killed during military operations in Gaza on Saturday.

The deaths bring the number brings the total number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza ground offensive to 153 and they come as Israel expanded its operations.

"This is a difficult morning, after a very difficult day of fighting in Gaza," Netanyahu said Sunday.

"The war is exacting a very heavy cost from us; however, we have no choice but to continue to fight."

"We are continuing with full force, until the end, until victory, until we achieve all of our goals: the destruction of Hamas, the return of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to the State of Israel," Netanyahu said.