Hamas said on Tuesday (7) that a 70-year-old Israeli hostage died after an Israeli bombing of Gaza.
The announcement was made by Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
Israeli forces took control of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt this Tuesday and tanks advanced into the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza.
Hamas accused Israel of trying to undermine the truce talks taking place in Cairo by mounting the offensive.
International aid agencies said the closure of the two main crossings to the south of the Gaza Strip, Rafah and Kerem Shalom, has practically isolated the Palestinian territory from foreign aid, with very few warehouses available inside.
Israeli Army Radio announced that its forces took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday morning and army footage showed tanks passing through the complex and the Israeli flag flying on the Gaza side.
Despite international calls for Israel to postpone an attack on Rafah, Israeli tanks and planes also attacked several areas and homes overnight.
Gaza's Health Ministry said Israeli strikes had killed 54 Palestinians and injured 96 others in the past 24 hours.
On Tuesday morning, people were searching for bodies under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
Raed al-Derby said his wife and children were killed. Standing in the street, with anguish written all over his face, he told Reuters: “We are patient and we will remain firm on this earth. We are waiting for liberation and this battle will be for liberation, God willing.”
More than a million people have sought refuge in Rafah, living in tent camps and makeshift shelters.
Many are trying to flee, obeying Israeli orders to withdraw, but with large swathes of coastal territory already devastated, they say they have nowhere safe to go.
Israel's military said the limited operation in Rafah was aimed at killing fighters and dismantling infrastructure used by Hamas, which rules Gaza.
Source: CNN Brasil
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