At least three Israeli soldiers have been reportedly killed in a Hamas rocket attack near one of the main crossings used to deliver aid into Gaza,
According to Reuters, Israel’s army disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Following the strike, Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing overnight.
Subsequent Israeli strikes in Rafah reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 12 people.
Israel’s military has urged Gazans sheltering in parts of Rafah to evacuate. These events occurred amidst stalled talks for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
The Israeli Defense Forces reported that 10 projectiles were fired from an area near the Rafah crossing, approximately 3.6km (2.2 miles) from Kerem Shalom.
Hamas’s armed wing claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that its target was a nearby Israeli army base.
They were fired from a site some 350m from a civilian shelter, the IDF said
It called the launches “another clear example of the terrorist organisation’s systematic exploitation of humanitarian facilities and spaces, and their continued use of the Gazan civilian population as human shields”.
Hamas denies it uses civilians as human shields.
The Israeli military confirmed a counter-strike in Rafah, saying it struck the launcher from which the projectiles were fired and a nearby military structure.
Gaza health officials reported that two Israeli strikes on Sunday resulted in the deaths of at least 12 people.
Despite little progress and both Israel and Hamas maintaining their stance on key demands, discussions are set to resume on Monday. Hamas announced that its delegation would travel to Qatar for consultations with the group’s leadership.
CIA chief William Burns, involved in mediation efforts, has reportedly left the Egyptian capital for talks in Doha. The proposed truce is said to include a 40-day ceasefire, facilitating the release of hostages in Gaza and several Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Hamas said it viewed the current proposal in a “positive light”, but the main sticking point appears to be whether the ceasefire deal would be permanent or temporary.
The group is demanding that any deal include a specific commitment to end the war, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected this on Sunday.
“The state of Israel cannot accept this [Hamas’s demands], we are not prepared to accept a situation in which the Hamas brigades come out of their bunkers, take control of Gaza again, rebuild their military infrastructure, and return to threatening the citizens of Israel in the settlements surrounding the southern mountains, in all parts of the country.
“This will be a terrible defeat for the state of Israel,” he added.
The conflict began when Hamas militants crossed into Israel from Gaza on October 7, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 hostages. Many Western countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Since then, the Israeli military campaign in Gaza has led to the deaths of over 34,600 Palestinians and more than 77,900 injuries, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from factions within his far-right coalition to launch a promised offensive in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza.
Approximately 1.4 million people have sought shelter in Rafah after fleeing the fighting in other parts of the strip.
The United States is hesitant to support a military operation that could result in significant civilian casualties and has insisted on a plan to protect displaced Palestinians before backing such action.
Early on Monday, the IDF said it was encouraging residents in Rafah’s eastern neighbourhoods to make their way toward an “expanded humanitarian zone.”
“The expanded humanitarian zone includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medicine and other supplies.
“In accordance with the approval of the government, an ongoing situation assessment will guide the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas in eastern Rafah, to the humanitarian area,” a statement posted to X.
Seven months into its offensive against Hamas, Israel has stated that achieving victory is contingent on capturing Rafah.
However, concerns have been raised by Western powers and neighboring Egypt regarding the potential for high civilian casualties, as more than 1.4 million displaced Palestinians are currently seeking shelter in Rafah.
