“This will help free our hostages and ensure Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future,” Netanyahu wrote. His post echoes sentiments he shared during a Fox News interview on Thursday, when he said a takeover of Gaza’s (formerly) most populous city would “liberate” its people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared Israel’s intention to take full control of the Gaza Strip and eliminate Hamas, signaling a major policy shift.

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.