Israel PM says ‘intense’ fighting with Hamas in Rafah ‘about to end’

Netanyahu said he would not agree to any deal that stipulates an end to the war in Gaza, indicating that he was open to a “partial” deal that would facilitate the return of some hostages still held in Gaza, if not all.

“The goal is to return the kidnapped and uproot the Hamas regime in Gaza,” he said.

United States officials have raised doubts over Israel’s goal of completely eliminating Hamas, and on Wednesday Israel’s top army spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said: “To say that we are going to make Hamas disappear is to throw sand in people’s eyes.”

He said Hamas is an ideology and “we cannot eliminate an ideology.”