Israel says it is 'in control' of key Gaza crossing
The Israeli army said it took "operational control" of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Tuesday and that troops were scanning the area. "Right now we have special forces scanning the crossing... We have operational control of the area and other crossings and we have special forces scanning the area," the military said. "We are only talking about the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing." The Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing early Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said, taking “operational control” of the crucial crossing for both aid and those able to flee into Egypt. Footage released by the Israeli military showed a tank entering the crossing. Details of the video matched known features of the crossing and showed Israeli flags flying from tanks that seized the area. The Israeli military claimed it seized the crossing after receiving intelligence it was “being used for terrorist purposes.”  The military did not provide evidence to immediately support the assertion, though it alleged the area around the crossing had been used to launch a mortar attack that killed four Israeli troops and wounded others near the Kerem Shalom Crossing. The military also said that ground troops and airstrikes targeted suspected Hamas positions in Rafah.  Egypt previously warned any seizure of Rafah could see Palestinians fleeing over the border, a scenario that could threaten a 1979 peace deal with Israel that’s been a linchpin for regional security. The offensive again raised the risks of an all-out Israeli assault on Rafah, a move that aid groups warn will be disastrous for some 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge there. Egyptian officials said the proposal called for a cease-fire of multiple stages starting with a limited hostage release and partial Israeli troop pullbacks within Gaza.  The two sides would also negotiate a “permanent calm” that would lead to a full hostage release and greater Israeli withdrawal out of the territory, they said. The Hamas militant group, which controls Gaza, has sought clearer guarantees for its key demand of an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal in return for the release of all hostages. (Agencies)