The military said on Tuesday that the Israeli army had assumed “operational control” of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip and that they were currently scanning the area.
Military Operation in Gazan side of the Rafah
“Army troops from the IDF were able to take operational control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing last night.” Our special forces are scouring the area for more terrorists or terrorist infrastructure. The military stated, “We are only discussing the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing.”
In the eastern part of Rafah, the military is currently conducting a “very targeted operation and a very limited scope against very specific targets”. Numerous local businesses and residents have relocated to a safer area. Twenty militants have lost their lives as of Monday, when Israeli strikes in Rafah began.
According to officials late on Monday, the Israeli military began targeted strikes against the militant Hamas group in the southern Gaza city of Rafah after receiving approval from the nation’s war cabinet. Hours after Hamas agreed to the proposed cease-fire between Qatar and Egypt, this occurred.
Also Read: Hours after Hamas accepts truce proposal, Israel begins military operation in Rafah
Operational control over Rafah; Delegation scheduled
Israel declared that the agreement did not satisfy its “fundamental demands,” and as a result, talks and strikes in Rafah will continue. After that, the foreign ministry of Qatar announced that a delegation will be traveling to Cairo on Tuesday to continue indirect talks between Israel and Hamas.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that although Israel would send a delegation to meet with negotiators in an attempt to reach an agreement, the truce proposal did not meet Israel’s demands. He said that the continuation of the operation in Rafah was approved by his war cabinet.
According to Israeli estimates, the war started on October 7, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and kidnapping 252 more, of whom 133 are thought to be in captivity in Gaza. In the fighting, over 34,600 Palestinians have lost their lives.
