This photo provided by the Israel Defense Forces shows a tank carrying an Israeli flag entering the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday.
Associated Press
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Associated Press
This photo provided by the Israel Defense Forces shows a tank carrying an Israeli flag entering the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday.
Associated Press
JERUSALEM – An Israeli tank brigade took control of the Gaza Strip’s Rafah crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, authorities said, continuing an offensive in the southern city even as ceasefire talks with Hamas remained in jeopardy.
The move came hours after the war between Israel and Hamas broke out, with the militant group saying on Monday it had accepted an Egyptian-Qadda-mediated ceasefire offer. Israel, meanwhile, insists the agreement does not meet its core requirements. The high-stakes diplomatic moves and military brinkmanship offer a glimmer of hope – but only a slim one – of a deal that could at least halt the seven-month war that has devastated Gaza. .
The Israeli military said the Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing early Tuesday morning to conduct “operational control” of the key crossing. It is the main route for aid entering the besieged enclave and for those who are able to flee to Egypt. Since the war began, Israel has had complete control of all access to and from Gaza.
Video released by the Israeli military showed a tank entering the crossing. Details in the video match known features of the crossing and show Israeli flags flying on tanks occupying the area.
The Israeli military claimed it seized the crossing after receiving intelligence that it was “being used for terrorist purposes.” The military did not immediately provide evidence to support the claim but claimed the area around the crossing had been used to launch mortar attacks that killed four Israeli soldiers and wounded others near the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The military also said ground troops and air strikes were targeting suspected Hamas positions in Rafah.
Palestinian Crossing Points Authority spokesman Waal Abu Omar acknowledged that Israeli forces had seized the crossing and temporarily closed the facility. He said attacks had been targeting areas around the crossing since Monday.
An Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman declined immediate comment on the Israeli seizures. Egypt has previously warned that Palestinians could flee across the border if Rafah is captured, a situation that could threaten the 1979 peace agreement with Israel that has been key to regional security.
The offensive once again raises the risk of a full-scale Israeli attack on Rafah, a move that the United States strongly opposes and aid groups warn would have catastrophic consequences for the estimated 1.4 million Palestinians who have taken refuge there.
Egyptian officials said the proposal called for a multi-stage ceasefire, starting with a limited release of hostages and a partial withdrawal of troops from Gaza. They said the two sides would also negotiate a “permanent calm” that would lead to the full release of hostages and the withdrawal of more Israeli troops from the territory.
Hamas is seeking clearer guarantees on its key demands for an end to the war and a complete Israeli troop withdrawal in exchange for the release of all hostages, but it is unclear whether any changes will be made.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected such compromises and vowed to continue their operations until Hamas is destroyed after attacking Israel on October 7 and triggering war.
