A few hours after Hamas accepted an agreement brokered by Egypt and Qatar for a ceasefire intended to end the seven-month war, the Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it had taken control of the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing as the Jewish state began its planned military offensive in the southern city.
On Monday, Hamas declared its acceptance of a cease-fire proposal between Qatar and Egypt. However, Israel insisted that the accord did not satisfy its criteria and that it was continuing with its attack on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. Nevertheless, Israel declared it will carry on with talks.
There is a slim chance of an agreement that might at least temporarily halt the seven-month-old conflict that has destroyed the Gaza Strip, despite the high-stakes diplomacy and military brinkmanship. The possibility of a full-scale Israeli attack on Rafah, which the US vehemently opposes and which humanitarian organizations warn will be catastrophic for the 1.4 million Palestinians seeking shelter there, loomed large over the negotiations.
Hours after Israel ordered the evacuation of some 100,000 Palestinians from Rafah’s eastern neighborhoods, indicating that an invasion was near, Hamas abruptly accepted the cease-fire agreement.
In eastern Rafah, the Israeli military announced that it was carrying out “targeted strikes” against Hamas. Israeli tanks soon after invaded Rafah, getting as near as 200 meters (yards) from the border crossing between Rafah and Egypt, according to both an Egyptian and a Palestinian security official. The alleged invasion occurred one day after four Israeli troops were murdered by Hamas militants in a mortar attack that Israel claimed started close to the Rafah crossing.
At least five individuals, including a woman and a child, were killed by Israeli airstrikes that struck other locations in Rafah late on Monday, according to medical officials.
Israel’s War Cabinet decided to carry with the Rafah operation shortly after Hamas announced that it had accepted the Egyptian-Qatari peace plan, according to the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Additionally, it stated that it will send negotiators to Egypt to work on an agreement, even if the proposal that Hamas accepted “is far from meeting Israel’s core demands.” Qatar declared late on Monday that it was also sending a squad to Egypt.
