Israeli occupation forces intensified air and ground attacks across the Gaza Strip as Tel Aviv confirmed an agreement with Washington to keep the Rafah crossing closed, worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
The Israeli occupation army carried out a series of airstrikes and ground attacks across the Gaza Strip at dawn on Tuesday, demolishing residential buildings in the north amid reports of an Israeli-US agreement to keep the Rafah crossing closed.
According to local reporters, Israeli warplanes struck the Sheja’iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, while occupation forces carried out demolition operations in areas under their control in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Ambulance and emergency services reported that one Palestinian was killed by Israeli drone fire east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Global Sumud Flotilla Plans Expanded Gaza Mission as Aid Remains Blocked
Local sources told the Anadolu news Agency that Israeli occupation forces also launched multiple raids on eastern Khan Yunis, as Israeli naval vessels fired heavily toward the city’s coastline.
In Rafah, Israeli military vehicles stationed in areas under occupation opened heavy fire toward the Al-Alam area, southwest of the city.
In central Gaza, an Israeli fighter jet struck an area east of Deir al-Balah, while an Israeli helicopter fired indiscriminately east of the al-Bureij refugee camp.
On Monday evening, Nasser Medical Complex announced that two Palestinians were killed and four others, including children, were injured after an Israeli airstrike targeted a tent sheltering displaced people in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis.
Meanwhile, the Rafah crossing remains closed. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an agreement had been reached with Washington stipulating that the crossing would not be opened until the body of the last Israeli prisoner held in Gaza is returned.
Netanyahu Tells Knesset Trump Supports Disarming Hamas, Confronting Iran
The announcement comes days after Israeli media reported preparations to reopen the Rafah crossing following Netanyahu’s return from Washington. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said last Thursday that US pressure to open the crossing had intensified, with an official announcement expected within days.
Since May 2024, Israel has occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, destroying its infrastructure and blocking movement through it. The closure has deepened Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, particularly for the sick and wounded, amid Israel’s ongoing war on the territory since October 2023.
(PC, AJA, Anadolu)
