Jerusalem — The Israeli military said Wednesday it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed over the weekend after A Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby..
An Israeli tank brigade He seized the nearby Rafah crossing. between Gaza and Egypt early Tuesday, and remained closed, but that limited incursion does not appear to be the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the populous southern city that Israel has repeatedly promised.
The impending operation threatens to widen a rift between Israel and its main backer, the United States, which says it is concerned about the fate of around 1.3 million Palestinians crammed into Rafah, most of whom fled fighting elsewhere. . Israel says Rafah is Hamas’s last stronghold and that a broader offensive there is needed to dismantle the group’s military and governance capabilities.
Ramez Habboub / AP
A senior Biden administration official confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday night that the United States halted a weapons shipment to Israel last week over concerns about how such weapons could be used in a possible ground operation in Rafah.
The White House position has been that Israel “should not launch a major ground operation in Rafah,” the official said.
The shipment held included 1,800 two-thousand-pound bombs and 1,700 five-hundred-pound bombs, the official said.
The official said the White House was “especially focused” on the “end use” of the 2,000-pound bombs and the “impact” those bombs could have in “dense urban environments.”
“We have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this shipment” and other shipments are under review, he officially revealed.
Historically, the United States has provided Israel with enormous amounts of military aid, which has only accelerated since the start of the war.
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Meanwhile, the United States, Egypt and Qatar are stepping up efforts to close gaps in a possible deal for at least a temporary ceasefire and the release of some of the dozens of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Israel has linked the threatened Rafah operation to the fate of those negotiations.
Hamas said on Monday had approved a ceasefire proposal presented by Egypt and Qatar, but Israel said what Hamas agreed to was “far from meeting Israel’s fundamental demands.”
The Rafah crossing has been a vital conduit for humanitarian aid since the start of the war and is the only place where people can enter and leave. Israel now controls all Gaza border crossings for the first time since it withdrew troops and settlers from the territory nearly two decades ago, although it has maintained a blockade with Egypt’s cooperation for most of that time.
Associated Press journalists heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the Rafah crossing area overnight, including two large explosions early Wednesday. The Israeli military reported six launches from Rafah toward the Kerem Shalom crossing on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 46 patients and wounded who were due to leave for medical treatment on Tuesday were stranded.
U.N. agencies and aid groups have increased humanitarian assistance in recent weeks as Israel lifted some restrictions and opened an additional crossing in the north under pressure from the United States, its closest ally. But aid workers say the closure of Rafah, which is the only gateway for fuel for trucks and generators, could have serious repercussions.
The UN says northern Gaza is already in a state of “full-blown famine.”
The war began when Hamas militants breached Israel’s defenses on October 1. 7 and devastated military bases and nearby farming communities, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping another 250. Hamas is believed to still be holding about 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 more after most of the others were freed during a ceasefire in November.
he was It has killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and driven about 80% of Gaza’s population, 2.3 million Palestinians, from their homes. Israel’s military campaign has been one of the deadliest and most destructive in recent history, reducing large areas of Gaza to rubble.
President Biden has repeatedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch an invasion of Rafah. But Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have threatened to topple his government if he calls off an offensive or makes too many concessions in ceasefire talks.