Israel’s military has announced the seizure of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt following overnight bombardment of eastern Rafah. Tanks have been deployed to the area, a crucial entry point for aid, following Israel’s directive for civilians to evacuate. Despite ongoing truce negotiations in Cairo, Israel deemed terms agreed upon by Hamas unacceptable, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu citing significant disparities from Israel’s core requirements.
The Israeli war cabinet, while dispatching a delegation to Cairo talks, opted to sustain operations in Rafah. Netanyahu’s stance follows Hamas’ purported acceptance of truce terms mediated by Qatar and Egypt, the specifics of which remain unclear, but likely center on the cessation or pause of hostilities.
A Hamas official remarked that the onus is now on Israel. Israel’s military had forewarned Palestinians in eastern Rafah to evacuate prior to strikes, impacting over 100,000 civilians. Amid dashed hopes for an immediate truce, Israel reiterated its commitment to negotiation despite reservations about Hamas’ proposal, aiming to explore conditions aligning with its interests.
Simultaneously, Israel maintains its military campaign in Rafah, aiming to exert pressure on Hamas to achieve objectives including the release of hostages, dismantling of Hamas’ military and governance infrastructure, and ensuring long-term security for Israel.
Earlier, Hamas communicated approval of a ceasefire proposal to Qatar and Egypt, as relayed by its political leader Ismail Haniyeh.