AP
JERUSALEM — An Israeli tank brigade took control on the Gaza side of the Rafah border with Egypt on Tuesday, authorities said. It said it would launch an offensive in southern cities, even though ceasefire talks with Hamas remain on a knife's edge.
The move comes after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war, with the militant group saying on Monday it had accepted a ceasefire offer brokered by Egypt and Qatar. Israel, meanwhile, argued that the deal failed to meet its core demands. Risky diplomatic maneuvers and military brinkmanship have left alive a glimmer of hope for an agreement that could at least halt the seven-month war that has devastated the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army's 401st Brigade said it entered the Rafah intersection early Tuesday morning and gained “operational control” of the critical intersection. This provides support to the besieged territory and is the main route for those able to flee to Egypt. Israel has completely controlled all access in and out of the Gaza Strip since the start of the war.
Video released by the Israeli military shows a tank entering the crossing. Details in the video matched known features of the intersection and showed Israeli flags flying from tanks occupying the area.
Israeli forces claimed they took over the crossing after receiving intelligence that it was “being used for terrorist purposes.” The military claimed the area around the crossing was used to launch mortar attacks that killed four Israeli soldiers and wounded others near the Kerem Shalom crossing, although it did not immediately provide evidence to support this claim.
The military also said ground forces and airstrikes targeted suspected Hamas positions in Rafah.
Wael Abu Omar, spokesman for the Palestinian Crossing Authority, acknowledged that Israeli forces had taken over the crossing and closed the facility for the time being. He said the strike had been in place since Monday, targeting the area around the crossing.
An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to immediately comment on the Israeli seizure. Egypt has previously warned that capturing Rafah could lead Palestinians to flee across the border, a scenario that could threaten the 1979 peace agreement with Israel that has been key to regional security.
The offensive has renewed the risk of a full-scale Israeli attack on Rafah, a move strongly opposed by the United States and which aid groups have warned would be disastrous for the estimated 1.4 million Palestinians seeking refuge there.
Egyptian officials said the proposal calls for a multi-step ceasefire, starting with limited hostage release and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The two sides would also negotiate a “permanent calm” that would lead to the full release of hostages and a greater withdrawal of Israel out of its territory, they said.
Hamas sought clearer guarantees on its core demands: an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israel in return for the release of all hostages, but it was unclear whether any changes had been made.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected such compromises, pledging to continue the campaign until Hamas is destroyed following the Oct. 7 Israeli attack that triggered the war.