The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued their operation in Gaza's Rafah on Saturday despite extensive international criticism, as the states mediating in the ongoing conflict called for an agreement to end the war.
Soldiers found numerous weapons, tunnels and rockets in the town in the south of the Gaza Strip, the IDF said, adding that the army's operations were precise and based on intelligence findings.
Israel deems Rafah the last stronghold of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which triggered the current conflict in Gaza after killing hundreds of civilians in Israel on October 7.
Many of Israel's allies, however, have adamantly opposed a military incursion into Rafah due to the high number of civilians having sheltered there from fighting elsewhere in the coastal area. Many of them have since fled Rafah again.
The latest attacks come one day after US President Joe Biden unveiled a new proposal endorsed by Israel to end the war and secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Later on Saturday, states mediating in the conflict called on Israel and Hamas to settle on the agreement.
Egypt, the US and Qatar said the parties to the conflict should finalize an agreement that includes the principles outlined by Biden, they said in a joint statement published by Egypt.
The proposed agreement unites the demands of all parties, they said. It serves multiple interests and will bring immediate relief to the people of Gaza as well as the hostages and their families, the statement said. "This agreement provides a roadmap to a permanent ceasefire and ending the crisis."
While Washington on Friday said that Israel had endorsed the three-phase plan for a ceasefire agreement laid out by Biden, several far-right members of the Israeli government on Saturday threatened to withdraw from the coalition in case the deal is accepted.
In a post on X, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would no longer be part of the government if Israel agreed to the proposal, arguing it would put an end to the war even though Israel's stated aims have not been achieved.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also threatened to leave the coalition government if the deal, which includes provisions for all hostages to be released, is accepted, arguing the plan would mean "victory for terrorism" and a "total defeat" for Israel.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the ministers over their opposition to the proposal.
An outspoken critic of Netanyahu, Lapid said that he had promised the prime minister a political safety net for the deal should Ben-Gvir or Smotrich leave the government. This would allow Netanyahu to continue to govern.
Meanwhile fighting also continued in the central Gaza Strip, where dozens of Palestinians have been killed over the past two days. The IDF said they were terrorists.
Several key members of Hamas have reportedly been killed in Gaza in recent days, including a man who was involved in planning terrorist attacks in Israel and the West Bank.
None of the information could initially be independently verified.
In view of the high number of civilian victims and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel is facing mounting criticism abroad, with many condemning the operation in densely-crowded Rafah in particular.
A week ago, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt the military operation in Rafah immediately.
The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza says 36,379 people have been killed in the territory since the beginning of the current conflict.
