The Israeli military has taken control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, an Israeli military official said on Tuesday (7).
The facility is the only crossing between Gaza and Egypt and a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave.
“We have operational control of the area and the crossing,” confirmed an Israeli military official. Military operations at the crossing continue, the official added.
The official declined to say how long Israeli troops would control the crossing.
Video from the Israel Defense Forces showed Israeli flags flying on the Palestinian side of the crossing.
Earlier, a Palestinian official told CNN that all movement at the crossing had stopped after Israeli tanks captured the facilities on the Palestinian side.
Another official said forces had been operating since last night in a specific area of eastern Rafah, from where most people and some international organizations were evacuated.
At a morning press conference, he also said that the Kerem Shalom crossing was closed this Tuesday for security reasons and will reopen as soon as the security situation allows.
*with information from Reuters.
Source: CNN Brasil
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