JERUSALEM, March 27 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today his cancellation of a planned visit to Washington by top aides this week was meant to show Hamas that Israel would not bend to growing international pressure to halt the war in Gaza.

“It was a message first and foremost to Hamas: ‘Don’t bet on this pressure, it’s not going to work,’” he said in videoed comments at a meeting with visiting US Senator Rick Scott. — Reuters