The Israeli military announced on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, that it has achieved “operational control” of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza side.
Israeli tanks took over the crossing in Gaza’s border with Egypt after advancing during the night as their warplanes pounded residential homes.
The incursion comes after Israel said that it would continue its military operation in Rafah even after Hamas said it had accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
According to the Israeli military, it seized the crossing after receiving intelligence that it was being used for “terrorist purposes.”
The Israeli military said that in addition to killing 20 fighters and destroying Hamas infrastructure in the area, its forces have also located “three operational shafts.”
The United Nations reported that Israeli authorities have denied its officials access to the Rafah crossing into southern Gaza.
“We currently do not have any physical presence at the Rafah crossing as our access … has been denied by COGAT,” Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA, disclosed, referring to the Israeli agency that oversees supplies into the Palestinian territories.
“The two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza are currently choked off,” Jens Laerke stated, adding that UN agencies have very low stocks inside the Gaza Strip since humanitarian supplies are consumed immediately.
“If no fuel comes in for a prolonged period of time, it would be a very effective way of putting the humanitarian operation in its grave,” he said.
The Rafah border crossing is located on the Egypt-Gaza border and is the only crossing with Gaza not controlled by Israel.
Since a 2007 agreement with Israel, Egypt has controlled the crossing but supplies entering Gaza through Rafah require Israeli approval.
The crossing emerged as a crucial lifeline for aid after Israel closed its border crossings with Gaza on October 7, 2023.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that the Israeli military operation in Rafah threatens efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
Turkey also criticised Israel’s move.
“By carrying out a ground attack on Rafah, just a day after Hamas approved Qatar and Egypt’s proposal for a ceasefire deal, Israel has added another to the war crimes it has committed in Palestinian territories since October 7,” Turkish Vice President, Cevdet Yilmaz posted on X.
He added that Ankara would continue working for the Israeli leadership to be legally punished.
Meanwhile, a news agency, citing a senior Israeli official, reported that a team of mid-ranking Israeli officials will go to Cairo in the next few hours to assess whether Hamas can be persuaded to shift on its latest ceasefire offer.
The official was quoted as saying that the proposal as it currently stands was unacceptable to Israel.
“This delegation is made up of mid-level envoys. Were there a credible deal in the offing, the principals would be heading the delegation,” the official told the news agency.
Closure Of Rafah Crossing A Death Sentence
Hisham Edwan, Spokesperson for the Gaza border crossing authority, asserted that Israeli forces have “sentenced the residents of the Strip to death” by shuttering the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Edwan added that the closure of the crossing, which is a vital aid lifeline for Gaza and the only exit point for sick and wounded Palestinians, is especially grave for cancer patients who need treatment.
Mustafa Barghouti, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, also noted that Israel’s closure of the Rafah will have a “terrible impact” on the people of Gaza.
“People will die. Die because of these Israeli measures, in addition of course to the possible massacre that could take place if Israel continues its military operation in Rafah.”
Mustafa Barghouti
He added, “It’s a terrible disaster. This all happens at a time when Hamas declares it has accepted the ceasefire agreement.”
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