Israel rejected a ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas and announced it was continuing its assault on the southern Gaza town of Rafah.
THE Israeli the army said it was carrying out “targeted strikes” against Hamas east of the city, the group’s last stronghold in Gaza.
Shortly after Israeli tanks entered Rafah and advanced to within 200 meters of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the Associated Press reported, citing an Egyptian official who said the operation appeared have a limited scope.
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Hamas said its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that the group had accepted their ceasefire proposal, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the truce proposal did not meet not meet his demands.
However, he added that Israel would send a delegation today to meet with negotiators to try to reach an agreement.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said its delegation would travel to Cairo, the Egyptian capital, to continue indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Egypt and Qatar have been mediating talks between Hamas and Israel for months.
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated across the country demanding an immediate deal. In Jerusalem, around 100 people marched to Mr. Netanyahu’s home with a banner reading: “The blood is on your hands.”
An Israeli official described Hamas’ announcement as “a ruse intended to make Israel appear as the party refusing a deal.”
Aid groups have warned that an attack on Rafah would be disastrous for the 1.4 million Palestinians who have fled there.
Analysis: Peace in Gaza seems more distant than ever
Five dead in airstrikes
Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people in the city last night, including a child and a woman, hospital officials said.
On Sunday, Hamas fighters near the Rafah crossing fired mortars into southern Israel and killed four Israeli soldiers.
Israeli leaflets, texts and radio broadcasts ordered Palestinians to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah, warning that an attack was imminent and warning that anyone remaining “puts themselves and their family members in danger.” “.
Israel and Hamas urged to “go the extra mile”
US President Joe Biden spoke with Mr Netanyahu and reiterated US concerns over an invasion of Rafah, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Hamas “to go the extra mile to reach an agreement,” his spokesperson said.
More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed in the war, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry – although that tally does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The UN has warned that the enclave is on the brink of famine.
The war began when Hamas militants crossed the Israeli border on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 252 hostages, 133 of whom are believed to remain captive in Gaza, according to Israeli counts.
Sky news