The Israeli military has seized the Palestinian side of the Rafah checkpoint, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip.
According to a report by Reuters on the 7th local time, the Israeli military radio announced this information on the same day. The Rafah checkpoint is a vital passage connecting the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt, through which international humanitarian aid for refugees is brought in. The report came out amidst observations that Israel had issued an evacuation order in the Rafah area on the previous day, followed by continuing airstrikes, indicating an imminent ground incursion. The Israeli military stated that they would soon release a statement regarding these reports.
On the previous night, the Israeli military seized the Rafah checkpoint after advancing eastward along the Salah ad-Din road through clashes. The New York Times reported that Israeli tanks entered Rafah and took control of the border checkpoint, while CNN reported that the Israeli military had captured the Palestinian side of the Rafah border checkpoint. The Financial Times in the UK reported that Israel had deployed troops to Rafah.
In a video released by the Israeli military, a tank carrying the Israeli flag is seen rushing towards the checkpoint with a Palestinian flag hanging on the facility. An Israeli flag has also been displayed next to the checkpoint entrance. Following the Israeli military’s entry, the Rafah checkpoint that had been used by relief trucks in the Gaza Strip is now in a closed state. Separate checkpoints managed by Hamas and Egypt are set up at the Gaza Strip-Egypt border.
Wael Abu Omar, the public relations officer for Hamas at the Rafah checkpoint, informed Haaretz, an Israeli daily, that “the Israeli military occupying the checkpoint has halted the entry of humanitarian aid supplies from Egypt to the Gaza Strip.” Hamas spokesperson Hisham Edwan criticized, saying, “The Israeli occupying forces have sentenced the people of Gaza to death by closing the Rafah checkpoint.”
According to eyewitnesses, gunshots were heard near the empty checkpoint last night. The Israeli military explained that the noise from last night was a targeted attack on Hamas. The Rafah checkpoint, connecting southern Gaza and Egypt, has been a vital route for international humanitarian aid supplies for refugees.
On the previous day, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order in the eastern Rafah area and conducted over 50 airstrikes using fighter jets and tanks. The Hamas health ministry claimed that at least 20 people were killed and dozens were injured in the airstrikes. Amidst observations that the Israeli military’s operation in Rafah was escalating, Hamas expressed willingness to accept the ceasefire proposal put forward by Egypt and Qatar, the mediatory countries.
However, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office stated that Hamas’ recent ceasefire proposal did not meet Israel’s demands, declaring that “the security cabinet unanimously decided to continue the attacks on Rafah in order to achieve war objectives, including the release of hostages and to exert military pressure on Hamas.”