Israel Raid Closes Rafah Border Crossing in Gaza، Hamas Says

Israeli troops took control of the Rafah border-crossing in Gaza on Tuesday morning and Palestinian officials said all aid flows from Egypt had stopped.

The army has halted “the movement of people and aid completely،” the Hamas-run border authority said in a statement. Tanks drove through the area in the far south of the Gaza Strip and soldiers replaced Palestinian flags with Israeli ones.

It’s the first time Israel’s army has entered that part of Gaza since the war with Hamas began in October. The maneuvers may be in preparation for an offensive on the city of Rafah that the Israeli government has said will happen as it looks to destroy Hamas’s remaining battalions.

The Israel Defense Forces said it acted “following intelligence that indicated the Rafah crossing was being used for terrorist purposes.”

The main entry point for aid

The border is the main entry point for aid into Gaza. The US has been urging Israel for weeks to allow more food and other supplies in، with the United Nations saying parts of the territory are on the verge of famine.

The development came a day after Israel told residents in parts of eastern Rafah to leave immediately and launched more airstrikes in some areas of the city. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said civilians will be allowed to move out before any ground assault.

Israel says that، for now، 100،000 people fall under its “evacuation order.” One Israeli official said the operation will probably last around two weeks. It’s unclear if the military will try moving out people in other parts of Rafah، which could take longer.

More than 1.4 million people are sheltering in Rafah، most of them having fled from other areas of Gaza to seek shelter. Israel has largely defeated Hamas in the rest of the territory، but says around 5،000 to 8،000 fighters and senior leaders are located in Rafah.

Israel also believes it’s the location of most of the remaining hostages held by Hamas، which is backed by Iran and designated a terrorist group by the US and European Union.

Most Arab and many European states have said Israel should not attack Rafah، fearing it would cause mass casualties. The US has expressed concerns too.

“Despite the request of the international community، the US، the EU — everybody asking Netanyahu not to attack Rafah — the attack started yesterday night،” Josep Borrell، the EU’s foreign policy chief، said in Brussels on Tuesday. “There are no safe zones in Gaza. Let’s see how we can try to mitigate the consequences of the situation.”

Egypt condemned “in the strongest terms” Israel’s takeover of the Gaza side of the border crossing. Saudi Arabia called for a cease-fire “to stop the genocide carried out by the occupation forces against defenseless civilians.”

The latest round of negotiations

Cease-fire talks between the two sides continue to drag. Hamas said on Monday night it had accepted a proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar. Israel rejected it، saying it contained demands the Jewish state cannot accept.

Qatar said it was sending a delegation to Cairo on Tuesday for the latest round of negotiations.

The main obstacle is Hamas’s demand that any truce is effectively permanent. Israel says the war must continue — even if there’s a break for a weeks-long cease-fire — until Hamas surrenders or is crushed as a military and governing organization.

The war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7، killing 1،200 people and taking 250 hostage. Israel’s bombardment and ground attack on the Palestinian territory have killed almost 35،000 people، according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The only truce so far lasted a week and ended on Dec. 1. Around half the hostages were released. Of those remaining، Israel thinks at least 30 are dead.