Escalation fears as key crossing seized
US says Israel’s action is limited as families flee Rafah
Israeli troops seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing yesterday in what the White House described as a limited operation, amid fears of a full-scale invasion of the southern city while talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release remain on a knife’s edge.
The United Nations warned of a potential collapse of the flow of aid to Palestinians from the closure of the crossing from Egypt and the other main crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom, from Israel, at a time when UN officials say northern Gaza is experiencing “full-blown famine”.
The Israeli foray came after hours of whiplash in the now seven-monthold Israel-Hamas war, with the militant group saying on Tuesday it accepted a ceasefire proposal that Israel insisted fell short of its own core demands.
The high-stakes diplomatic moves and military brinkmanship left a glimmer of hope alive for a deal to bring at least a pause in the war, which has killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and has devastated the Gaza Strip.
The Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings are critical entry points for food, medicine, and other supplies for Gaza’s 2.3 million people. They have been closed for at least the past two days, though the smaller Erez crossing between Israel and northern Gaza continues to operate.
By capturing the Rafah crossing, Israel gained full control over the entry and exit of people and goods for the first time since it withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005, though it has long maintained a blockade of the coastal enclave in co-operation with Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the capture of the crossing an “important step” towards dismantling Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel would “deepen” the Rafah operation if talks on the hostage deal failed.
Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official based in Beirut, said the militant group would not respond to military pressure or threats and would not accept any “occupying force” at the Rafah crossing.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the operation along the Gaza-Egypt border in eastern Rafah was not a fullon Israeli invasion of the city that United States President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned against on humanitarian grounds.
Kirby said Israel described it as “an operation of limited scale and duration” aimed at cutting off Hamas’ arms smuggling. Kirby also expressed optimism about the negotiations, saying Israel and Hamas “should be able to close the remaining gaps” to complete an agreement.
He said CIA chief William Burns will attend further talks in Cairo with representatives from Israel, Egypt and Qatar. Hamas also sent a delegation to Cairo, which will meet separately with the Arab mediators.
“Everybody is coming to the table,” Kirby said.
Fighting forced the evacuation of
the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital, one of the main medical centres receiving people wounded in airstrikes on Rafah in recent weeks. It was not immediately clear how many patients were moved to other facilities.
About 1.3 million Palestinians are crammed into Rafah, most of whom fled fighting elsewhere.
Biden warned Netanyahu again on Tuesday against launching an invasion of the city after Israel ordered 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah. But Netanyahu’s farright coalition partners have threatened to bring down his Government if he calls off an offensive or makes too many concessions in ceasefire talks.
Palestinians’ cheers of joy over Hamas’ acceptance of the ceasefire deal turned to fear yesterday.
Families fled Rafah’s eastern neighbourhoods on foot or in vehicles and donkey carts piled with mattresses and supplies. Children watched as parents disassembled tents in the sprawling camps that have filled Rafah for months to move to their next destination — which for many remained uncertain.
“Netanyahu only cares about coming out on top. He doesn’t care about children. I don’t think he’ll agree” to a deal, said Najwa al-Saksuk as her family packed up while Israeli strikes rang out amid plumes of black smoke.
Israel’s 401st Brigade took “operational control” of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing yesterday, the military said. Military footage showed Israeli flags flying from tanks in the area. It also said troops and airstrikes targeted suspected Hamas positions in Rafah.
The military claimed it had intelligence the crossing was “being used for terrorist purposes”, though it did not immediately provide evidence.
It said Hamas fighters near the crossing launched a mortar attack that killed four Israeli troops near Kerem Shalom on Monday and that more mortars and rockets were fired from the area yesterday.
Israeli authorities denied the UN humanitarian affairs office access to the Rafah crossing yesterday, said its spokesman, Jens Laerke.
All fuel for aid trucks and generators comes through Rafah, and Laerke said there was a “very, very short buffer of about one day of fuel”.
Israeli strikes and bombardment across Rafah overnight killed at least 23 Palestinians, including at least six women and five children, according to hospital records.
Mohamed Abu Amra said his wife, two brothers, sister and niece were killed when a strike flattened their home as they slept.
“We did nothing . . . We don’t have Hamas,” he said.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned the seizure of the Rafah crossing, calling it “a dangerous escalation”.