ISRAEL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought global cooperation against Hamas, claiming that the number of hostages held by the freedom fighters and other Palestinian groups in Gaza has risen to 199 as of Monday.

"The world must come together to destroy Hamas," said Netanyahu who spoke in the Israeli Knesset today. 

"Our war is your war," he declared, likening Hamas to the Nazis.

Additionally, Netanyahu urged Hezbollah and Iran not to "test" Israel in the north. After Hamas attacked Israel, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah of Lebanon have been exchanging gunfire for the past few days.

On Sunday, the Israeli army declared that it was prepared to begin a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Russia reiterated its appeal for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Israel-Gaza conflict earlier today and urged officials to begin talks to resolve violence.