Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his government's key objectives in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip: destroying the militant group and securing the return of all hostages held in Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the Hamas militant group had become difficult to deal with in recent days, but he was talking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about "various plans" to free hostages still held in the enclave.

Finally, the images of Palestinians starving to death and children showing the telltale signs of malnutrition became unbearable. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making an end run around his own hard-line cabinet ministers on the Sabbath, relented and allowed an influx of desperately needed food and other supplies to flow into Gaza.

Izzat al-Rishq, a top Hamas official, said Trump's remarks "blatantly echo" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's "narrative and lies," in an Arabic statement released on Monday on Telegram. The Israeli leader previously dismissed claims that his government had been pursuing a policy of starvation in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering “alternative options” to ceasefire talks with Hamas after Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams, throwing the future of the negotiations into further uncertainty.

Commentary: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are exploring alternatives to bring the hostages home. What could they be?

UN aid chief Tom Fletcher says supplies delivered on Sunday during an Israeli military pause in parts of Gaza were "a drop in the ocean".

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu denied widespread reports of starvation in Gaza on Sunday and blamed Hamas for stealing aid. "What a bold-faced lie.