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Israel-Hamas war: IDF presence reported at Rafah crossing
Published 2 hours agoPublished 2 hours agolast updated 24 minutes agolast updated 24 minutes ago
Israeli forces appeared to be establishing a presence on the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing early on Tuesday. This follows a call for civilians to leave the area, and Monday’s confusion over a cease-fire.
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An IDF handout image shows sunlight shining through the Rafah crossing at Gaza
A handout picture from the Israeli army shows the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday morningImage: Israeli Army/AFP
Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
Israel’s military says it has control over Gazan side of Rafah crossing, conducting ‘very targeted’ operation in eastern Rafah
First reports, however, did not suggest a large-scale deployment
On Monday, Israel told people to leave the area after a fatal attack hailing from Rafah
Soon after this ultimatum, Hamas claimed to have accepted a cease-fire proposal in long-running talks, only for Israel to then say it did not meet its core demands
The talks continue, Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron appealed for a breakthrough on Tuesday
Skip next section Rafah — main aid entry point into Gaza, refuge for many
27 minutes ago27 minutes ago
Rafah — main aid entry point into Gaza, refuge for many
Rafah is a city in southern Gaza that borders Egypt.
In the first months of the conflict, with much of the fighting in northern Gaza, it became a haven for people trying to flee. Usually home to more like 200,000 people, more than a million — or around half Gaza’s population — are estimated to have fled there since the war began after the Hamas terror attacks on October 7.
Rafah is also the busiest entry point for humanitarian aid going into Gaza.
Israel had at one point urged Palestinians trying to avoid fighting to the north in places like Gaza City to head for Rafah.
But for months now, Israel’s government has been warning of an impending military operation there, which has come in tandem with international calls for restraint and a light touch and warnings of dire consequences in the case of a larger operation.
On Monday, the IDF instead called on people in Rafah to head north towards Khan Younis, saying soldiers would soon be operating in the southern city.
This followed a mortar attack that Israel said hailed from near the border crossing and killed four IDF soldiers.
Israel’s planned Rafah offensive threatens aid to Gaza
02:08
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Skip next section IDF says ‘operational control’ established at Rafah
55 minutes ago55 minutes ago
IDF says ‘operational control’ established at Rafah
The Israel Defense Forces said in a press briefing early on Tuesday that its forces had taken “operational control” of the Palestinian side of Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt.
The IDF’s 401st tank brigade entered the Rafah crossing early on Tuesday, it said.
It said special forces were scanning the area and had been operating there since the previous night, particularly in an area in eastern Rafah.
“Right now, we have special forces scanning the crossing … We have operational control of the area and other crossings, and we have special forces scanning the area,” the military said.
It added that currently engaged in a “very targeted operation and a very limited scope against very specific targets” in eastern Rafah.
The military also said that the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel into Gaza was temporarily closed as well early on Tuesday, citing security reasons. It said it would reopen when the security situation allowed.
The IDF published video footage, with film taken from on board a single tank showing that tank approaching the crossing. No people or other military vehicles were visible in the shot.
Late on Monday, Israel’s military had already said it was carrying out “targeted strikes” in Rafah, reporting the deaths of 20 Hamas militants and the discovery of three tunnels during the operation.
The military said Tuesday that a “vast amount” of people in areas given evacuation notices yesterday “moved to a safer zone.”
UNWRA’s Sam Rose in Rafah: ‘People are beginning to move’
05:31
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Skip next section First reports of IDF activity at Rafah crossing
2 hours ago2 hours ago
First reports of IDF activity at Rafah crossing
Israeli Army Radio and Palestinian and Egyptian officials both reported a military presence on the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between southern Gaza and Israel early on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the Gaza border authority told Reuters that the crossing had been closed amid the presence of Israeli tanks. Reuters also cited humanitarian aid workers as saying deliveries were halted.
Israel had on Monday asked people to leave the area, thought to be a temporary home to more than a million fleeing the fighting in Gaza after a mortar attack that it said hailed from the town killed four Israeli soldiers.
Soon after that, Hamas said it had accepted a cease-fire deal after days of delay. But as celebrations started breaking out in Rafah and elsewhere, Israel’s government then responded by saying the deal did not meet its “core demands.”
Talks on a possible truce continue on Tuesday. French and Chinese presidents Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping, in the south of France for a second day of talks, issued an early statement urging a breakthrough.
The threat of some kind of military operation at Rafah, plus international appeals for restraint from Israel, has been openly in play for months now, albeit without major military activity.
Israeli army calls on Rafah residents to evacuate
01:29
msh/wmr (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)
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