Gaza Aid 'Choked Off' As Israeli Forces Seize Rafah Border Crossing. Top Updates

Following the seizure of the Rafah border by Israeli forces, the UN said that the Israeli military operation in Rafah has 'choked off' aid to Gaza.

The UN said that the Israeli military operation in Rafah has 'choked off' aid to Gaza.

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Israel-Gaza War: In the latest developments pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli military seized control of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza strip and Egypt on Tuesday. This comes after the IDF's tanks pushed into the southern Gazan town of Rafah following airstrikes on the enclave. 

Rafah has been a crucial entry point for aid and the only exit for people able to flee since the war began in October last year. Following the seizure of the Rafah border by Israeli forces, the UN said that the Israeli military operation in Rafah has "choked off" aid to Gaza.

Speaking at a news briefing, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Jens Laerke said, “With both the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings closed, “currently the two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza have been choked off,” as quoted by NBC News.

Israel- Gaza War: Here Are Top Updates

1. On Tuesday, a delegation of officials arrived in Egypt’s capital city, Cairo, to continue ceasefire talks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a proposal previously agreed to by Hamas “falls far short” of Israel’s expectations, as reported by Al Jazeera.
2. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel will “deepen” its push into Rafah in case negotiations fail.
3. Israel Defense Forces said that rockets were fired from the Rafah border in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday towards Kerem Shalom and the Re’im area of southern Israel, as reported by CNN. At least 20 people have lost their lives in Israel's attacks on Rafah since Tuesday morning, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
4. On Monday, Hamas said it had accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. In a statement, the outfit said its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, had told Qatar Prime Minister and Egypt's intelligence chief that it was accepting their proposal.
5. Hours after Hamas said Monday it was accepting a truce proposal, Israel said no ceasefire had been agreed on the Gaza situation. Quoting an Israeli official, a Reuters report said what Hamas accepted was a "softened" version of a proposal from Egypt that included "far-reaching" conclusions unacceptable to Israel. 
6. On Monday, US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against invading Rafah as Israel issued evacuation orders and carried out air strikes on the Gaza city, as reported by news agency AFP.
7. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres decried Israel's ground offensive in Rafah and said that the assault would be a "strategic mistake." "An assault on Rafah would be a strategic mistake, a political calamity & a humanitarian nightmare," Guterres said in a video posted on X, as he made an appeal to the international community to help avert the ongoing conflict. "I appeal to all those with influence over Israel to do everything in their power to help avert even more tragedy," Guterres said.