Gaza: Israeli tanks have taken over the Rafah border crossing after advancing during the night as their warplanes pounded residential homes, killing at least 12 people.
The military says it has “encouraged” displaced people and international humanitarian organisations operating in eastern Rafah to “temporarily evacuate” the area.
The displaced Palestinians are being pushed towards al-Mawasi on the coast, where the military says it has set up field hospitals, tents, and medical supplies.
In a statement, the military says it has already struck numerous Hamas targets in eastern Rafah since launching its operation there, killing about 20 fighters.
Israel’s latest wave of military attacks in densely populated Rafah has also killed numerous civilians, including at least one child in an attack on a home, reports the Wafa news agency.
Meanwhile, Hamas says it has approved a proposal for a ceasefire in the seven-month Gaza war put forward by mediators Qatar and Egypt although Israel says the proposal falls short of its demands.
“Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas movement, conducted a telephone call with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and with the Egyptian intelligence minister, Mr Abbas Kamel, and informed them of Hamas’s approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement,” the Palestinian group said in a statement published on its official website.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the proposed deal did not meet Israel’s demands and it would send a delegation to meet with negotiators.
“Although the Hamas proposal is far from Israel’s necessary requirements, Israel will send a working delegation to the mediators to exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement under conditions acceptable to Israel,” it said in a post on X.