Israel's Peres says Gaza campaign was unavoidable

Israeli President Shimon Peres says the country was compelled to launch its deadliest-ever offensive against Gaza militants by the actions of the radical Islamic Hamas and the campaign would continue for as long as necessary to deter the group from future attacks.

Speaking during a visit to defense headquarters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, he said the military faced a hard struggle in the days ahead.

Peres said Israel's goal went beyond halting rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel but he did not go into detail. The president said only that the campaign is not about stopping the fire but about stopping terrorism.