The Israeli military took control of the vital Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Tuesday, pushing into the southern Gazan city after a night of airstrikes and as prospects for a ceasefire deal hung in the balance.
Hamas said late on Monday it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from mediators seven months into the Israeli war that has pushed more than a million Gazans into the south of the enclave.
Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and launched a military operation in Rafah.
Israeli tanks and planes pounded several areas and houses in Rafah overnight, killing 20 Palestinians and wounding several others in strikes that hit at least four houses, Palestinian health officials said.
"The Israeli occupation has sentenced the residents of the [Gaza] Strip to death after closure of the Rafah border crossing," said Hisham Edwan, spokesman for the Gaza Border Crossing Authority.
It also condemned to death cancer patients due to the collapse of the healthcare system, he added.
(Reuters)
Featured image: Ramez Habboud/Anadolu via Getty
