ISRAELI tanks rolled into Rafah this morning as it kicked off a ground offensive after 11th hour ceasefire negotiations partially fell apart.
Israel’s military said 20 Hamas terrorists had been killed after its war cabinet voted unanimously to go ahead with the planned invasion of the southern Gazan city – despite fears of mass civilian casualties.
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This morning, Israeli tanks and soldiers were seen entering east Rafah after an overnight bombardment.
The move comes after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night rejected a ceasefire offer last night from Hamas and vowed to push on into city, which is swelling with refugees from the north.
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed the 401st armoured brigade and the Givati infantry brigade had established control over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing.
The IDF also said it had killed 20 Hamas militants and located three “significant” tunnel shafts in the first hours of what it predicts will be a six-week assault.
Yesterday, residents of Rafah were told to flee the war-torn city to avoid the risk of being used as “human shields” by Hamas thugs.
Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, said today: “The whole western area [of Rafah] has become a theatre of operations since yesterday. The bombardment has not stopped,”
However, the offensive again raised the risks of an all-out Israeli assault on Rafah, a move the US strongly opposes and that aid groups warn will be disastrous for some 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge there.
Hours before Israel approved the ground offensive, Hamas announced it had accepted a ceasefire proposal brought forward by mediators Egypt and Qatar.
It prompted celebrations on the streets of Gaza, particularly Rafah, as Palestinians believed an end to the seven months of gruelling war was near.
However, Israel rejected the “impossible” proposal by saying it did not meet its “core demands”.
The negotiations are set to continue today.
What is happening with the ceasefire deal?
ISRAEL has rejected a ceasefire proposal by Hamas and pushed on with its planned assault on Rafah. But where does that leave the truce talks?
Last night, there had been a slither of hope as senior Hamas officials said they had accepted a ceasefire deal – sparking short-lived celebrations across Gaza.
But Israel rejected their proposal, saying it fell short of “core demands”.
An Israeli official described Hamas’s announcement as “a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal”.
The exact details of the deal are not yet known.
However, Netanyahu has offered a 40-day truce to allow the most vulnerable of around 130 hostages to be freed in terms deemed “very generous” by Britain and the US.
Hamas refused to budge on their stance that any agreement must involve the complete Israeli withdrawal and permanent end to the war during their second day of talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Cairo.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected that trade-off, vowing to keep up their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.
Israel said it will send a delegation to meet negotiators today to try and reach an agreement.
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Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold, but the US opposes a full-scale invasion of the city bordering Egypt unless Israel provides a credible plan for protecting civilians there.
The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to Hamas-run health officials.
The war was sparked by the bloody October 7 attacks when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others.
Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.
Why does Israel want to invade Rafah?
ISRAELI tanks and forces invaded eastern Rafah today – despite ongoing ceasefire talks with Hamas.
So why does Israel want to storm the southern Gaza city?
Israel says Rafah is Hamas’s last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip, as its military claims to have already dismantled 18 of Hamas’s 24 battalions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will enter Rafah because we have no other choice.
“We will destroy the Hamas battalions there, we will complete all the objectives of the war, including the return of all our hostages.”
The country believes Hamas has five battalions in Rafah and that its ground forces must move in to destroy them.
Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, known as Gaza’s Bin Laden, is believed to be holed up in tunnels beneath the city.
About 1.4 million Palestinians – more than half of Gaza’s population – have sought refuge in Rafah, having fled from cities, refugee camps, and villages further north.
Israel has said it will evacuate civilians from the city before invading – but the US and air groups have warned it could be a bloodbath.
Its military claims to have purchased 40,000 tents, each with the capacity for 10 to 12 people, to house Palestinians relocated from the city ahead of the assault.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps last week told The Sun’s new World At War show: “Bringing this to a conclusion is absolutely essential.
“It’s in the Palestinian people’s interest.
“It’s in Israel’s interest is in the world’s interest to see that happen.
“And the route to that is by releasing hostages, the thing which started all of this.”
It comes amid fears in Israel that PM Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant could be issued with arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
ISRAELI INVASION OF RAFAH
Satellite images in April showed Israel gearing up their troops and military trucks for a potential six-week assault on Rafah.
Troops have been seen stationing themselves around the battered Gaza strip as an escalation of war looks imminent despite the ceasefire talks.
Israel is looking to end the horrific war while keeping civilian casualties low, they say.
Over a million Palestinians are hiding out in Rafah after being ran out of their homes during the six-month war.
Up to 800 vehicles can be seen sat across two separate bases in Gaza, according to satellite imagery from Planet Labs.
Around 700 trucks are in the Negev desert in the south as 120 are preparing on the northern border of the Gaza Strip.
The birds eye view of the strip – which shows a blanket of white tents – also reveals how Israel has been using nine cleverly positioned military outposts around the enclave.
Many believe Israel is making moves towards the city as they look to launch a decisive assault in the area where they believe top brass Hamas cowards may be hiding out.
Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal that at least the first two weeks will be fully dedicated to getting civilians out.
It is most likely they will be taken to nearby areas such as Khan Younis where there is plenty of shelters and medical personal on hand.
Around 1.4million people took refuge in Rafah when the war began in October 2023 to escape the senseless bombing, kidnappings and ground battles.
Israel will work alongside the US, Egypt and other Arab allies to safely move the residents, say the Egyptian officials.
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