Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel was just one step from victory in the Gaza war and vowed there would be no ceasefire until Hamas releases all hostages.

"We are one step away from victory. But the price we paid is painful and heartbreaking," he said in a cabinet address marking six months of the war that broke out on October 7 after an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas militants.

"There will be no ceasefire without the return of hostages. It just won't happen," he added.