The Israeli prime minister has announced that his country is preparing a ground invasion of Gaza.

According to Reuters and The Times of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed the preparations during a televised statement on Wednesday.

The prime minister stopped short of elaborating, however, only saying the decision on when to proceed with the operation will be reached by the government’s war Cabinet and urged civilians in Gaza to head to the southern half of the enclave.

The prime minister’s remarks come a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel accepted the U.S.' request to delay an invasion.

Netanyahu said in the televised statement that “all Hamas members are dead men walking, above and below ground, inside and outside Gaza,” adding that “thousands of terrorists have been killed” and that “that is only the beginning.”