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Israeli troops rolled into Rafah on Tuesday in what authorities said was a limited operation to eliminate the Hamas terrorist infrastructure in the eastern section of the besieged, beleaguered city in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Israelis seized control of the main border crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
The incursion cast further doubt on prospects that Israel and Hamas militants were moving closer to a cease-fire deal some seven months after a Hamas rampage through southern Israel sparked a bloody war in the densely populated Palestinian enclave.
With the capture of the Rafah crossing, Israel gained full control over the entry and exit of people and goods for the first time since it withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza nearly 20 years ago.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the capture of the crossing an “important step” toward dismantling Hamas’ military, The Associated Press reported. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel would intensify the Rafah operation if talks on the hostage deal fail.
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The political wing of Hamas raised hopes of a cease-fire on Monday by announcing that it had accepted a deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar for an extended pause in the fighting that would free hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians in Israeli prisons and allow a major infusion of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The Netanyahu government reacted warily to the news that Hamas had accepted the deal. Officials said the details of the pact were not clear and that Israel remained determined to end Hamas’ ability to wage war against the Jewish state. The militant group’s last four functioning brigades are said to be holed up in the streets and tunnels of Rafah.
The Biden administration has been involved in the cease-fire talks and said it would not support a major Israeli incursion into Rafah, where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge from the war.
Unclear motives
It was not clear whether the Israeli move into Rafah was a major offensive or just a military demonstration designed to pressure Hamas as the cease-fire talks appeared to be nearing the final stage.
Before Tuesday’s operation, Israel Defense Forces encouraged Rafah residents to temporarily evacuate to an expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, about 6 miles away.
“The IDF has facilitated the expansion of field hospitals, tents and an increase in water, food and medical supplies,” IDF officials said on their Telegram social messaging page. “International organizations working in the area were also encouraged to temporarily evacuate prior to the beginning of the cooperation.”
The crossing IDF troops took in eastern Rafah was being used for terrorist purposes, Israeli officials said. They pointed to a mortar barrage Sunday from the area that killed four Israeli soldiers and injured several others.
U.S. officials said Israeli forces appeared to be engaging in a restrained operation.
“What we’ve been told by our Israeli counterparts is that this operation last night was limited and designed to cut Hamas’ ability to smuggle weapons into Gaza,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “We’re going to be monitoring the situation very, very closely to see how it unfolds.”
Mr. Kirby said Hamas appeared to have made some changes to the three-stage proposal by Egyptian and Qatari mediators but noted that all the parties remained at the negotiating table.
“We believe these gaps can be closed,” he said.
Cease-fire talks continue
The operation began soon after Hamas signaled that it had agreed to a proposal for a cease-fire. Israel said the provisions fell short of what it would accept. Despite its skepticism, the Netanyahu government said it was sending a midlevel delegation to Cairo to continue the cease-fire talks.
CIA Director William J. Burns, who has been intensely involved in the talks aimed at halting the fighting, was reportedly still in Cairo talking with the various partners.
The United Nations warned on Monday that an Israeli offensive into Rafah would mean untold civilian suffering and deaths. The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East said it would not evacuate despite the Israeli military operation.
“The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people [but] the agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible and will continue providing lifesaving aid to people,” the U.N. posted on X.
President Biden has told Mr. Netanyahu that humanitarian assistance must continue flowing into Gaza, regardless of any military operation, White House officials said. Officials at the Hamas-controlled Palestinian health service say nearly 35,000 people have died since the Israel-Hamas campaign began, a majority of them civilians.
Israel launched the offensive just after the surprise Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 and captured some 250 Israeli and foreign hostages. About 100 hostages are thought to still be held by Hamas, and their families have been a potent source of pressure on the Netanyahu government to agree to a pause in the fighting and a prisoner exchange.
“A major ground operation would put at risk more than a million people — that’s the totality of the number that we obviously care about — all the innocent civilians that were pushed down to Rafah because of operations further north,” Mr. Kirby said. “They all need to be factored in before we would be comfortable with some sort of major ground operation. We have not seen a plan to do that.”
The White House refused again Tuesday to comment on reports that the Biden administration held up a U.S. arms shipment as a means of pressuring Israel to call off the Rafah operation.
“Our commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad. We don’t, as a matter of course, talk about individual shipments one way or the other,” Mr. Kirby said. “But again, nothing’s changed about our commitment to Israel’s security.”
However, the Associated Press reported Tuesday evening that the U.S. delayed a shipment of bombs over concerns about an imminent assault on Rafah against American wishes.
Citing “a senior administration official,” AP reported that the shipment was to have consisted of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, but that these bombs weren’t shipped over fears that Israel might use them in the dense urban setting of Rafah.
No final decision has been made on whether to proceed with the shipment at a later date, the official told AP.
Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican, accused Mr. Biden of backtracking on his “ironclad” pledge to support Israel. Ms. Ernst and Sen. Ted Budd, North Carolina Republican, sent the White House a letter demanding answers.
“We are shocked that your administration has reportedly decided to withhold critical ammunition to Israel,” the senators wrote. “You promised your commitment to Israel was ironclad. Pausing much-needed military support to our closest Middle Eastern ally signals otherwise.”
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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