Israeli military forces have taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a key strategic objective and the sole gateway between Egypt and Gaza for humanitarian aid, Israeli military officials have confirmed.
“At the moment we have operational control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing and we have special forces scanning the crossing … That is what is happening in the upcoming hours. The operation is not over,” a military official said on Tuesday morning.
The spokesperson of the Gaza border authority confirmed the presence of Israeli tanks at the Rafah crossing.
The Israeli military says it has “encouraged” displaced people and international humanitarian organisations operating in eastern Rafah to “temporarily evacuate” the area as it launches a military operation in the area.
Aid officials in the territory said that the flow of aid through the crossing has been halted.
The Israeli military said late on Monday it was conducting targeted strikes against Hamas in Rafah.
