IIsraeli leaders approved a military operation in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, and Israeli forces are now attacking targets in the area, officials announced Monday.
The move came hours after Hamas announced that it accepted a ceasefire proposal between Egypt and Qatar, which could end seven months of war in Gaza.
However, it is not known whether the deal was closed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the proposal was “far from Israel’s essential demands” but would nevertheless send negotiators to continue negotiations on a ceasefire agreement.
On Monday morning, Israel’s military said it ordered about 100,000 people to evacuate Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion could be imminent. Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold. The United States says it opposes an invasion of Rafah unless Israel provides a “credible” plan to protect civilians there.
More than a million people in Rafah are crammed into tents and overcrowded apartments after fleeing Israel’s military offensive in other parts of the territory. The war in Gaza expelled around 80% of the territory’s population of 2.3 million people from their homes and caused extensive destruction in several cities. The death toll in Gaza has risen to more than 34,500 people, according to local health authorities.
The war began on October 7, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping about 250 others. Israel says militants still holds around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 other people.
At the moment:
– Hamas accepts ceasefire proposal to Gaza after Israel orders the evacuation of Rafah ahead of the attack.
— Annual memorial march in former extermination camp at Auschwitz overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war.
– Israel orders the closure of Al Jazeera its local operation and seizes some of its equipment.
– Netanyahu uses the Holocaust ceremony to ward off international pressure against the offensive in Gaza.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
