Gaza: An Israeli tank brigade seized control Tuesday of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, authorities said, moving forward with an offensive in the southern city.
The Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing early Tuesday morning, 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.
Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, acknowledged Israeli forces had seized the crossing and had closed the facility for the time being. He said strikes had targeted the area around the crossing since Monday.
Three sources in the area of humanitarian relief told Reuters news agency that shipments of crucial supplies had halted.
