Israeli Tanks Enter Rafah Crossing in Gaza

The Israeli army took control of the vital Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza using its tanks on Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, Israel entered Rafah, ignoring urgent warnings from its close allies. Meanwhile, the fate of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remains uncertain. The United Nations warned of a potential collapse of aid flows to Palestinians in Gaza due to the closure of Rafah and another main crossing between Israel and Gaza, Kerem Shalom. Hamas had previously attacked the Kerem Shalom crossing, prompting Israel to close it. However, on Monday, the White House announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed in a conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden to keep the Kerem Shalom crossing open for humanitarian aid. The U.S. and Jordan have previously provided air assistance to the people of Gaza. The Rafah crossing with Egypt and the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel are crucial points for the entry of food, medicine, and other supplies that the 2.3 million population of Gaza depends on. According to the Associated Press, these two crossings have been closed for at least the past two days, although the smaller Erez crossing between Israel and northern Gaza continues to operate. On Monday, Hamas stated that it accepted a ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, just hours after Israel warned about 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate an area in Rafah to another designated area. However, Israel insisted that this agreement does not meet its main demands. Israel claims that to prevent another attack like the one on October 7, which was welcomed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, it must eliminate the military and organizational capabilities of Hamas, which should no longer govern Gaza. That attack triggered the ongoing war. It seems that Israel's current entry into Rafah is less than a full-scale assault that it has planned. It is currently unclear whether this operation will expand. Israel states that entering Rafah and taking control of its underground tunnels is essential to prevent arms smuggling from across the Egyptian border. Israel's allied countries are concerned about the increasing deaths of Palestinian refugees who have fled to Rafah. Approximately 1.3 million Palestinians - more than half of Gaza's population - are trapped in Rafah and its surroundings. The White House: Netanyahu agreed in talks with Biden to keep the Kerem Shalom crossing open for humanitarian aid. The U.S. State Department: The Islamic Republic remains the largest driver of conflicts in Gaza.