NEW DELHI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that the country's military is approaching the end of the stage of eliminating Hamas' forces in Gaza.

“I returned yesterday from a visit to the Gaza Division and saw very significant achievements in the fighting being carried in Rafah. We are advancing towards the end stage of eliminating the Hamas terrorist army and will continue striking its remnants,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli prime minister spoke to a group of Israeli and international military officials studying at the National Security College.

He reiterated that Israel would achieve its goals in the war against Hamas, which include bringing hostages back from Gaza, dismantling Hamas' military and governing capabilities, ensuring Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, and securely returning displaced Israeli residents to their homes in both the south and the north.

Notably, 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 had mentioned last month that the intense phase of the war with Hamas is about to end and that the military’s focus could then shift to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

“The war is not going to end soon; instead the war in its current stage is going to end in Rafah. This is true. We will continue to cut down the grass later,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Channel 14 Television on June 23.

Notably, Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, in which at least 1,200 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.