POV footage showed the moment Israeli tanks stormed into Rafah brutally crushing an ‘I Love Gaza’ sign as the IDF began its long-threatened ground offensive into the Gazan city.
The move comes after Israel rejected Hamas’s ceasefire negotiation and vowed to push on with its war against the terror group despite warnings of mass civilian casualties.
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This morning, Israel military’s thrust into the eastern sector of Rafah, a city swelling with displaced civilians after a long overnight bombardment of the city.
The move comes after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet unanimously agreed to invade Rafah after it rejected Hamas’s truce offer last night.
Footage showed Israel Defence Forces (IDF) rolling in on tanks decorated with its flags and seizing control of the border crossing with Egypt.
Another clip showed a tank mercilessly driving over a monument which read ‘I Love Gaza’ before gunfire can be heard.
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The IDF also said it had killed 20 Hamas militants and located three “significant” tunnel shafts in the first hours of what it predicts will be a six-week assault.
Yesterday, residents of Rafah were told to flee the war-torn city to avoid the risk of being used as “human shields” by Hamas thugs.
Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, said today: “The whole western area [of Rafah] has become a theatre of operations since yesterday. The bombardment has not stopped.”
However, the move was strongly opposed by major world leaders including the US a aid groups warn will be disastrous for some 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge there.
Hours before Israel approved the ground offensive, Hamas announced it had accepted a ceasefire proposal brought forward by mediators Egypt and Qatar.
It prompted celebrations on the streets of Gaza, particularly Rafah, as Palestinians believed an end to the seven months of gruelling war was near.
However, Israel rejected the “impossible” proposal by saying it did not meet its “core demands”.
The negotiations will now continue as Israeli negotiators land in Egypt for further hostage talks.
Hamas officials warned Israel that it would be the “last chance” to release prisoners being held since the Oct 7 massacre.
The latest violence comes after four Israeli soldiers were killed Sunday in a rocket attack on Kerem Shalom by Hamas.
Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold, but the US opposes a full-scale invasion of the city bordering Egypt unless Israel provides a credible plan for protecting civilians there.
The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to Hamas-run health officials.
Israel rejected the ceasefire deal. What next?
ISRAEL last night rejected a ceasefire proposal by Hamas and pushed on with its planned assault on Rafah this morning. But where does that leave the truce talks?
Last night, there was a slither of hope as senior Hamas officials said they had accepted a ceasefire deal – sparking short-lived but louod celebrations across Gaza.
However, Israel rejected their proposal, saying it fell short of “core demands”.
An Israeli official described Hamas’s announcement as “a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal”.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has offered a 40-day truce and the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the most vulnerable of Israeli hostages – roughly 33 – to be freed in terms deemed “very generous” by Britain and the US.
But Hamas refused to budge on their stance that any agreement must involve the complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and permanent end to the war.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected that trade-off, vowing to keep up their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.
As hope of a ceasefire hangs on by a thread, Israel will be sending a delegation to the talks in Cairo today to try and reach an agreement.
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The war was sparked by the bloody October 7 attacks when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others.
Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps last week told The Sun’s new World At War show: “Bringing this to a conclusion is absolutely essential.
“It’s in the Palestinian people’s interest.
“It’s in Israel’s interest is in the world’s interest to see that happen.
“And the route to that is by releasing hostages, the thing which started all of this.”
It comes amid fears in Israel that PM Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant could be issued with arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Why does Israel want to invade Rafah?
ISRAELI tanks and forces invaded eastern Rafah today – despite ongoing ceasefire talks with Hamas.
So why does Israel want to storm the southern Gaza city?
Israel says Rafah is Hamas’s last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip, as its military claims to have already dismantled 18 of Hamas’s 24 battalions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will enter Rafah because we have no other choice.
“We will destroy the Hamas battalions there, we will complete all the objectives of the war, including the return of all our hostages.”
The country believes Hamas has five battalions in Rafah and that its ground forces must move in to destroy them.
Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, known as ‘Gaza’s Bin Laden’, is believed to be holed up in tunnels beneath the city.
About 1.4 million Palestinians – more than half of Gaza’s population – have sought refuge in Rafah, having fled from cities, refugee camps, and villages further north.
Israel has said it will evacuate civilians from the city before invading – but the US and aid groups have warned it could be a bloodbath.
Israel’s military claims to have purchased 40,000 tents, each with the capacity for 10 to 12 people, to house Palestinians relocated from the city ahead of the assault.
ISRAELI INVASION OF RAFAH
Satellite images in April showed Israel gearing up their troops and military trucks for a potential six-week assault on Rafah.
Troops have been seen stationing themselves around the battered Gaza strip as an escalation of war looks imminent despite the ceasefire talks.
Israel is looking to end the horrific war while keeping civilian casualties low, they say.
Over a million Palestinians are hiding out in Rafah after being ran out of their homes during the six-month war.
Up to 800 vehicles can be seen sat across two separate bases in Gaza, according to satellite imagery from Planet Labs.
Around 700 trucks are in the Negev desert in the south as 120 are preparing on the northern border of the Gaza Strip.
The birds eye view of the strip – which shows a blanket of white tents – also reveals how Israel has been using nine cleverly positioned military outposts around the enclave.
Many believe Israel is making moves towards the city as they look to launch a decisive assault in the area where they believe top brass Hamas cowards may be hiding out.
Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal that at least the first two weeks will be fully dedicated to getting civilians out.
It is most likely they will be taken to nearby areas such as Khan Younis where there is plenty of shelters and medical personal on hand.
Around 1.4million people took refuge in Rafah when the war began in October 2023 to escape the senseless bombing, kidnappings and ground battles.
Israel will work alongside the US, Egypt and other Arab allies to safely move the residents, say the Egyptian officials.
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