Israel takes control of Palestinian side of Rafah border crossing

The Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing in Gaza on Tuesday morning, the IDF confirmed to Jewish News. 

The IDF said it began a “precise counterterrorism operation based on IDF and ISA intelligence to eliminate Hamas terrorists and dismantle Hamas terrorist infrastructure within specific areas of eastern Rafah”.

Footage showed Israeli tanks reaching the border crossing, after Israeli forces attacked Hamas operatives and infrastructure in the area, killing some 20 terrorists and locating three operational tunnel shafts.

Israel issued evacuation orders to roughly 100,000 Palestinian civilians in Eastern Rafah on Monday morning, sending text messages, flyers and placing phone calls to residents and NGO’s.

The IDF called on residents to temporarily evacuate to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, where the army said it facilitated the “expansion of field hospitals, tents, and an increase in water, food, and medical supplies.”

Israel is also working on re-opening the Kerem Shalom border crossing to Gaza after Hamas fired rockets and killed four Israeli soldiers at the crossing on Sunday.

IDF would not comment on whether it will remain in control of Rafah border crossing and how long it will stay there.