The Israeli military said it was conducting “targeted strikes” against Hamas in eastern Rafah. Soon after, Israeli tanks entered Rafah, reaching as close as 200 meters (yards) from Rafah’s crossing with neighboring Egypt, a Palestinian security official and an Egyptian official said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The reported incursion came a day after Hamas militants killed four Israeli soldiers in a mortar attack that Israel said originated near the Rafah crossing.
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China urges Israel to stop attacking Rafah
Stop attacking Rafah and do everything to avoid a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, says foreign ministry spokesman Lin
AFP, Beijing
Published: 07 May 2024
This handout picture released by the Israeli army shows the 401st Brigade's combat team tanks entering the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on May 7, 2024. Photo: AFP
China on Tuesday urged Israel to "stop attacking Rafah", after the Israeli army said it took "operational control" of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
"China... strongly calls on Israel to heed the overwhelming demands of the international community, stop attacking Rafah, and do everything it can to avoid a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
The Israeli military said it was conducting “targeted strikes” against Hamas in eastern Rafah. Soon after, Israeli tanks entered Rafah, reaching as close as 200 meters (yards) from Rafah’s crossing with neighboring Egypt, a Palestinian security official and an Egyptian official said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The reported incursion came a day after Hamas militants killed four Israeli soldiers in a mortar attack that Israel said originated near the Rafah crossing.
The Egyptian official said the operation appeared to be limited. The Associated Press could not independently verify the scope of the operation.
Israeli airstrikes also hit elsewhere in Rafah late Monday, killing at least five people, including a child and a woman, hospital officials said.
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