Israel supports Rafah reopening without Hamas in the area: Gallant

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said his country supports the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, but will not tolerate Hamas's return to the area.

A statement released following a meeting between Gallant and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk said the two also agreed on the importance on seizing the opportunity for a Gaza ceasefire deal.

The statement added that they discussed "the challenges that remain in achieving such an agreement, as well as possible solutions to address them".