Topline
The Israeli military struck eastern Rafah on Monday—just hours after Hamas agreed to a cease-fire proposal negotiated by Egypt and Qatar, but Israel claimed the framework was not the deal it proposed.
Key Facts
“The IDF is currently conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in southern Gaza,” the Israel Defense Forces announced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The strikes came after Israel’s war cabinet “unanimously decided that Israel continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in its own statement.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari also confirmed that the military was “operating against the targets of the terrorist organization Hamas” in the region.
Crucial Quote
“Even though Hamas’ proposal is far from Israel’s necessary requirements, Israel will send a working level delegation to the mediators,” Netanyahu’s office said of cease-fire negotiations, according to CNN.
Key Background
Israel began striking eastern Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, on Sunday, killing about 19 people in the crowded city, Reuters reported. The Israeli military began dropping leaflets and broadcasting messages instructing about 100,000 Palestinians civilians to seek refuge in Khan Younis or Al Mawasi, two southern Gaza cities heavily damaged by past fighting. The Israeli military has long threatened to invade Rafah, which is now home to about 1.4 million refugees from other parts of the Palestinian territory. International groups and key Israeli allies, including the United States, have pressured Netanyahu’s government to call off the invasion. President Joe Biden previously said invading Rafah would constitute crossing a “red line” for the U.S., although he quickly walked this statement back and said he would not cut off military aid for the Israelis.
Big Number
600,000. That’s how many Palestinian children have taken refuge in Rafah, according to UNICEF. Children make up about half of the estimated 1.4 million refugees in the city.
