Israeli defence minister: Hamas, Hezbollah no longer effective proxies for Iran

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant meet in Berlin

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that Iran is no longer able to effectively use its proxies Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon against Israel.

"Over the past year, the security establishment led by the Israel Defense Forces turned the tide of the war and had unprecedented achievements in all arenas of fighting," he said in remarks to a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem.

Gallant said Hamas was no longer functioning as a military network in Gaza, while Hezbollah's senior command and most of its missile capabilities had been wiped out. He said both groups "are no longer an effective tool" to be used by Iran.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Mark Heinrich)