The Israeli Army confirmed this Tuesday that it had taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with tanks, after a night of intense bombing against the east of this southern town, bordering Egypt. Israeli forces continue to “scan” the crossing, according to the Army, which has not specified the number of ground troops in the area, although it maintains that it is a “precise and limited” operation against Hamas targets.

According to a military spokesman, the capture of the Gazan side of Rafah was carried out by the brigade 401 -composed mostly of tanks- and the Givati ​​elite brigadeand has been caused by the attack perpetrated by Hamas from there two days ago, in which four soldiers died, and which according to the Army confirmed that the area was being used by militiamen.

Likewise, and contrary to what was indicated in a statement from the Gazan Government on Monday, in which it warned that the evacuation order of eastern Rafah, ordered by the Israeli Army, was having a “limited response”, the Israeli Army spokesperson assured this Tuesday that a large part of the population was able to seek refuge in Al Mawasi, Khan Yunis, and that this facilitated the operation .

However, at least 18 Gazans have died in Rafah during the early morning, after a night of constant bombing also against homes, after the Israeli war cabinet announced late on Monday that it would not stop its military “operation” despite continuing to exhaust the possibility of a truce. The Army, for its part, claims to have killed 20 alleged militiamen in the eastern area of ​​Rafah with fighters and ground troops, in addition to having discovered three Hamas tunnels and having destroyed a vehicle with explosives.

Furthermore, the same military source has confirmed that Kerem Shalom crossing remains closed since the Hamas attack for “security reasons” and that since this Monday no humanitarian aid enters Gaza, something that is not expected to change today either. The entry of humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing, vital for supplying the Strip and used by Gazans seeking refuge in Egypt after seven months of war, is also paralyzed.

“The entire eastern Rafah region was the scene of operations since yesterday and the bombing on it did not stop for a moment“, indicated the representative of the Rafah land crossing in the Palestinian enclave, quoted by the Efe agency. The crossings, he indicated, “have been out of service since yesterday afternoon and there are no crews due to the direct attacks on the entire area, both aid and travelers are suspended,” he added.