Israel says Hamas elimination necessary for day-after Gaza government

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that eliminating Hamas in the Gaza Strip is necessary for any rise of alternative Palestinian governance there, as, he argued, leaving Hamas in place would pose a threat to potential successors.

In a video statement, Netanyahu also pushed back against Western criticism of Israel's military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, saying: "The humanitarian catastrophe that was talked about hasn't materialised, nor will it materialise." (Writing by Dan Williams)