Jerusalem — An Israeli tank brigade took management Tuesday of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, authorities mentioned, shifting ahead with an offensive within the southern metropolis whilst cease-fire negotiations with Hamas stay on a knife’s edge.
The transfer comes after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war, with the militant group on Monday saying it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated cease-fire proposal. Israel, in the meantime, insisted the deal did not meet its core calls for. The high-stakes diplomatic strikes and navy brinkmanship left a glimmer of hope alive – however solely barely – for an accord that would deliver at least a pause within the 7-month-old conflict that has devastated the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing early Tuesday morning, the Israeli navy mentioned, taking “operational control” of the essential crossing. It’s the principle route for assist coming into the besieged enclave and exit for these capable of flee into Egypt. Israel has totally managed all entry out and in of Gaza for the reason that conflict started.
Footage launched by the Israeli navy confirmed a tank coming into the crossing. Details of the video matched identified options of the crossing and confirmed Israeli flags flying from tanks that seized the realm.
The Israeli navy claimed it seized the crossing after receiving intelligence it was “being used for terrorist purposes.” The navy did not present proof to right away help the assertion, although it alleged the realm across the crossing had been used to launch a mortar assault that killed four Israeli troops and wounded others near the Kerem Shalom Crossing.
The navy additionally mentioned floor troops and airstrikes focused suspected Hamas positions in Rafah.
Hatem Khaled / REUTERS
The Reuters information company cites Palestinian well being officers as saying 20 Palestinians had been killed and a number of other others wounded in strikes that hit at least 4 homes.
Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, acknowledged Israeli forces had seized the crossing and had closed the ability in the meanwhile. He mentioned strikes had focused the realm across the crossing since Monday.
An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson declined to right away touch upon the Israeli seizure. Egypt beforehand has warned any seizure of Rafah may see Palestinians fleeing over the border, a situation that would threaten a 1979 peace deal with Israel that is been a linchpin of regional safety.
The offensive once more raised the dangers of an all-out Israeli assault on Rafah, a transfer the United States strongly opposes and that assist teams warn will probably be disastrous for some 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge there.
Egyptian officers mentioned the proposal known as for a cease-fire of a number of levels beginning with a restricted hostage launch and partial Israeli troop pullbacks inside Gaza. The two sides would additionally negotiate a “permanent calm” that may result in a full hostage launch and better Israeli withdrawal from the territory, they mentioned.
An Israeli official talking on situation of anonymity instructed Reuters the Hamas-approved proposal was a watered-down model of an Egyptian supply that had points Israel could not settle for. “This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal,” the Israeli official mentioned.
Hamas sought clearer ensures for its key demand of an finish to the conflict and full Israeli withdrawal in return for the discharge of all hostages, however it wasn’t clear if any modifications had been made.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected that trade-off, vowing to maintain up their marketing campaign till Hamas is destroyed after its Oct. 7 assault on Israel that triggered the conflict.
Reuters experiences that Qatar’s overseas ministry mentioned its delegation would go to Cairo Tuesday to renew oblique talks between Israel and Hamas.