Netanyahu says capture of Rafah crossing 'important step' towards dismantling Hamas

Earlier, an Israeli tank brigade seized control of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt

Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike on residential building in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Picture: AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the capture of the Rafah crossing with Egypt was an “important step” towards dismantling Hamas.

He was speaking after Israeli tank brigade seized control of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt moving forward with an offensive in the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain on a knife’s edge.