Israel's goal in Gaza is not to occupy the devastated Palestinian enclave but to "free it from Hamas terrorists," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

Asked in an interview with Fox News if Israel would “take control of all of Gaza,” Netanyahu replied: “We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza.” The Security Cabinet would still need to approve such a decision.

The U.N. has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza "deeply alarming."