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Israel launches Rafah offensive it says is start of mission to ‘eliminate’ Hamas

www.theguardian.com Israel launches Rafah offensive it says is start of mission to ‘eliminate’ Hamas

Defence minister says operation will continue until militant group is defeated or begins to free hostages

Israel launches Rafah offensive it says is start of mission to ‘eliminate’ Hamas

Israel has launched a major military offensive against Hamas forces in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, seizing control of a key border crossing and cutting off most aid into the territory a day before indirect talks on a ceasefire deal are due to restart.

Images released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) showed tanks flying large Israeli flags driving through the post and crushing a concrete sign reading “I Love Gaza”.

Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said the offensive would continue until Hamas forces in Rafah “and the entire Gaza Strip” were “eliminated” or the militant Islamist organisation begins to release hostages. A government spokesperson described the first stage of a wider effort targeting Hamas.

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