As another day of confrontation in the Middle East begins, negotiators for a truce between Israel and Hamas are meeting in Cairo. Delegations from both parties arrived in Egypt to resume talks on a ceasefire agreement. However, Israeli tanks and troops entered the southern city of Gaza and seized the border crossing with Egypt, blocking the flow of aid into the enclave. The United Nations has warned that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will worsen as a result of these actions.
Under pressure from allies to agree to a truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sent negotiators to the talks while continuing military operations against Hamas. The incursion into Rafah could increase pressure on Palestinian militants, but the results remain uncertain. The move does not represent a full ground invasion that Israel had previously threatened.
The director of a hospital in Rafah reported 27 dead and 150 wounded since the incursion began. Tel Aviv troops claimed they killed around 20 Hamas militants. International condemnation has followed the seizure of the Rafah crossing, with many officials and observers expressing concern over the escalation of violence.
President Biden has suspended an arms shipment to Israel to prevent US-made weapons from being used in the assault on Rafah. Activists and family members of hostages have blocked a highway to Tel Aviv, demanding an agreement with Hamas for the release of captives. CIA head William Burns is set to visit Israel for talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
An IDF spokesperson stated that
