Israel launches targeted strikes on Rafah

The Israel Defense Forces took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border early Tuesday morning after launching targeted strikes overnight, authorities said. Israel has repeated its intention to defeat the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza, telling civilians to evacuate early Monday morning. The IDF will continue to operate and eliminate every threat against Israeli civilians, it said Tuesday.

Has Hamas made any movements? Several mortar shells and rockets were launched from Rafah toward Israel, the IDF said. The launches prove Hamas’ systematic exploitation of the Rafah area for terrorism, authorities added.

How has the White House responded to the mission? The White House has neither supported nor condemned the invasion directly. The Biden administration doesn’t want to see operations in Rafah that risk or endanger over one million refugees there, said White House national security spokesman John Kirby. U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avert further violence and continue to seek a hostage deal, Kirby added.

Will negotiation talks continue? Hamas leaders said on Monday that they were ready to accept a brokered cease-fire deal. The agreement Hamas proposed earlier fell short of meeting Israel’s core demands, Netanyahu’s office said. Israel will dispatch delegates to Egypt to continue negotiations, his office added.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on the recent political background behind the invasion.