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Before launching a military operation in Rafah in May, Israeli leaders had maintained that the southern Gaza city was the last stronghold of Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has stated that the country’s military force will soon conquer Hamas militants in Gaza. 

Netanyahu mentioned this on Monday, saying the end of the stage of eliminating” Hamas’ army is nearer. 

The Prime Minister said, “I returned yesterday from a visit to the Gaza Division. I saw very considerable achievements in the fighting being carried in Rafah. We are advancing to the end of the stage of eliminating the Hamas terrorist army; we will continue striking its remnants.” 

He also promised that Israel would achieve its goals in its war against Hamas: returning hostages from Gaza, eliminating Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, ensuring that Gaza will not constitute a threat against Israel and also returning displaced Israeli residents securely to their homes in both the south and the north.

Before launching a military operation in Rafah in May, Israeli leaders had maintained that the southern Gaza city was the last stronghold of Hamas.

Netanyahu said last month that the “intense phase of the war with Hamas (in Gaza) is about to end,” and that the military’s focus could then shift to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on southern Israel, in which at least 1200 people were killed and more than 250 others were abducted.

Israeli attacks in Gaza have since killed at least 37,718 Palestinians and injured another 86,377 people, according to Gaza health officials.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported how the International Criminal Court (ICC) delayed its decision on issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The postponement comes after the ICC allowed the UK to submit legal arguments contesting the court’s jurisdiction over the matter.

The UK according to BBC had argued that the Palestinian authorities could not transfer jurisdiction to the ICC to prosecute Israelis under the Oslo Accords. 

The ICC’s decision to permit the UK’s amicus brief has paused the decision-making process on the arrest warrants, with a deadline of July 12 for the UK’s submission.

According to court documents made public on Thursday, the UK filed a request with the ICC on June 10 to provide written observations on whether “the court can exercise jurisdiction over Israeli nationals, in circumstances where Palestine cannot exercise criminal jurisdiction over Israeli nationals (under) the Oslo Accords.”