NEW DELHI: The Israeli army announced on Tuesday that it had assumed “operational control” of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, specifically the Palestinian side. The main entry point for delivering assistance to the besieged territory, the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing, was successfully taken over by IDF personnel last night.
In the current scenario, special forces are being employed to scan the area for additional terror infrastructure or terrorists. “We are only talking about the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing,” the military clarified. The operation is still ongoing.
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Following this step, the military is now conducting a “very targeted operation with a very limited scope against very specific targets” in the eastern part of Rafah. Numerous local businesses and residents have relocated to safer regions. The military reported that since the start of its operation in eastern Rafah, 20 militants were killed on Monday.
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Late on Monday, following the country’s war cabinet’s approval, the Israeli military launched targeted strikes against the Hamas militant group in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. This action came hours after Hamas accepted the Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal. However, Israel stated that the arrangement did not meet its “core demands”, so the country will continue with negotiations and strikes in Rafah.
Footage was released showing a tank moving through the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. An Israeli flag was spotted nearby, while drone footage revealed several tanks.