Israel has vowed to launch a vast ground operation in Rafah, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned would be ‘intolerable’.
Israeli tanks were seen entering Rafah after rocket strikes were launched on the city in Gaza just hours a ceasefire deal with Hamas has been dismissed as ‘a ruse’.
The strikes left at least five people dead, according to Rafah’s Kuwaiti hospital, which added that several more were injured.
The area is currently the site of intense Israeli military strike activity, according to witnesses and Palestinian security sources.
How Many Israeli Soldiers Were Killed in Gaza?
The latest strike might be a payback from Israel after Hamas fighters near the Rafah crossing fired mortars into southern Israel, killing four Israeli soldiers on Sunday.
Is Israel Going to Enter Gaza?
A Palestinian security official and an Egyptian official explained Israeli tanks entered the southern Gaza town of Rafah, reaching as close as 200 meters from its crossing with neighbouring Egypt.
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The operation reportedly is limited in scope. He and Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV said Israeli officials informed the Egyptians that the troops would withdraw after completing the operation. The Israeli military says nothing.
Did Israel Accept the Cease Fire?
This comes after Hamas issued a statement yesterday saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister.
But an Israeli official said the proposal that Hamas had accepted was a ‘softened’ version of an Egyptian proposal, which included ‘far-reaching’ conclusions that Israel could not accept.
