IDF take out 20 Hamas gunmen after tanks roll into Rafah & take control of crossing as ceasefire deal hangs by a thread

ISRAELI tanks rolled into Rafah this morning as it kicked off a ground offensive after 11th hour ceasefire negotiations partially fell apart.

Israel’s military said 20 Hamas terrorists had been killed after its war cabinet voted unanimously to go ahead with the planned invasion of the southern Gazan city – despite fears of mass civilian casualties.

IDF

IDF

AP

This morning, Israeli tanks and soldiers were seen entering east Rafah, a city swelling with refugees from the north, after an overnight bombardment.

It comes after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night rejected a ceasefire offer last night from Hamas and vowed to push on into the mostly southerly Gazan city.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed the 401st armoured brigade and the Givati infantry brigade had established control over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing.

Footage broadcast on Israeli media showed an Israeli flag flying on the Gaza side of the crossing, though the Israeli army refused to comment on the flag.

In the overnight operation, the IDF said it was carrying out targeted strikes in eastern Rafah.

It said they killed 20 Hamas militants and located three “significant” tunnel shafts in the first hours of what Israel predicts will be a six-week assault.

Yesterday, residents were been told to flee the war-torn city to avoid the risk of being used as “human shields” by Hamas thugs.

However, the offensive again raised the risks of an all-out Israeli assault on Rafah, a move the US strongly opposes and that aid groups warn will be disastrous for some 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge there.

Hours before Israel approved the ground offensive, Hamas announced it had accepted a cease-fire proposal brought forward by mediators Egypt and Qatar.

It prompted celebrations on the streets of Gaza, particularly Rafah, as Palestinians believed an end to the seven months of gruelling war was near.

However, Israel rejected the proposal by saying it did not meet its core demands.

It is still not clear the exact details of the proposal, but Israeli officials are set to fly to Cairo to put forward their own conditions.

More than a million people are huddled in tents and overcrowded apartments in Rafah after fleeing Israel’s military offensive in other parts of the Gaza Strip.

Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, said the Rafah crossing, the main entry of humanitarian aid to the war-torn strip, was out of service.

“The whole western area [of Rafah] has become a theatre of operations since yesterday. The bombardment has not stopped,” said Abu Omar.

Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold, but the US opposes a full-scale invasion of the city bordering Egypt unless Israel provides a credible plan for protecting civilians there.

The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to Hamas-run health officials in Gaza.

The war was sparked by the bloody October 7 attacks when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others.

Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

Reuters

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