Tanks approach outskirts of Rafah, says Egyptian official
A Palestinian security official and an Egyptian official say Israeli tanks have approached Rafah, and reached as close as 200 metres (yards) from the crossing with neighbouring Egypt, reports Associated Press.
It’s understood that area where the tanks are is on the outskirts of Rafah, in southern Gaza.
The Egyptian official said the operation appeared to be limited in scope, the AP reported. The news agency could not independently verify the scope of the operation.
The official and Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV said Israeli officials informed the Egyptians that its troops would withdraw after completing the operation.
The Israeli military declined to comment and the Guardian has not been able to independently verified the reports.
The Egyptian official, located across the border from Rafah, and the Palestinian security official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the press.
On Sunday, Hamas fighters near the Rafah crossing fired mortars into southern Israel, killing four Israeli soldiers.
Key events
The US military has posted on X in the last couple of hours that its forces destroyed an “uncrewed aerial system (UAS)” or a drone, launched by Houthi group in Yemen over the Red Sea.
The Houthis have been launching attacks on shipping in the Red Sea saying they are attacking Israeli-linked shipping in solidarity with Palestinians, however their attacks have also targeted vessels with no links to the country.
May 6 Red Sea Update
At approximately 10:47 a.m. (Sanaa time) on May 6, 2024, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and destroyed one uncrewed aerial system (UAS) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists over the Red Sea.
It was determined the… pic.twitter.com/v2CyX3yUxm— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 6, 2024
Jonathan Yerushalmy
Thousands of Israelis have rallied around the country on Monday night, calling for the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to the terms of a ceasefire deal that Hamas accepted earlier in the day.
Around 1,000 protesters gathered near the defence headquarters in Tel Aviv, while in Jerusalem, at least 100 protesters marched toward Netanyahu’s residence with a banner reading, “The blood is on your hands.”
In Tel Aviv, Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan Zangauker is still held in Gaza, told a gathered crowd that it was “time to accept the deal”.
Brandishing a megaphone, Zangauker stood on the roof of a car and spoke in front of a large crowd of protesters.
“We’re not going to let you continue to abandon the children,” she said.
In a post on X, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the government was not serious about freeing the hostages.
“A government that wants to return the abductees should be convening an urgent discussion and sending [negotiating] teams to Cairo, not hysterically issuing three different briefings from different parties and crushing the hearts of the families. A national disgrace. There is no limit,” he wrote.
As the war in Gaza goes on, we’re hearing that the United Nations General Assembly could vote on Friday on a draft resolution that would recognise the Palestinians as qualified to become a full UN member.
It would also recommend that the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favourably”, reports Reuters news agency.
Reuters says that it would effectively act as a global survey of how much support the Palestinians have for their bid. An earlier attempt was vetoed in the UN Security Council last month by the United States.
An application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the 15-member Security Council and then the General Assembly.
Meanwhile protests continue in the US over the Israel-Gaza war.
We’re hearing that pro-Palestinian protesters that had been blocked by police from accessing an encampment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Monday have broken through fencing, linked arms and encircled tents that remained there.
Associated Press reports that protesters also sat in the middle of Massachusetts Avenue, blocking the street during rush hour in the Boston area.
Sam Ihns, a graduate student at MIT studying mechanical engineering and a member of MIT Jews for a Ceasefire, said the group has been at the encampment for the past two weeks and that they were calling for an end to the killing of thousands of people in Gaza.
“Specifically, our encampment is protesting MIT’s direct research ties to the Israeli Ministry of Defense,” he said.
It comes as Columbia University has canceled its university-wide commencement ceremony following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests.
Here is some of a thread from a statement posted on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s X page a few hours ago.
On the truce Netanyahu says “While the Hamas proposal is far from meeting Israel’s core demands, Israel will dispatch a ranking delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel.”
While the Hamas proposal is far from meeting Israel’s core demands, Israel will dispatch a ranking delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 6, 2024
But the Israeli prime minister also vowed to continue action in Rafah.
Israel has ordered an evacuation of some 100,000 Palestinians from eastern neighborhoods of Rafah. Approximately more than 1 million civilians from other parts of Gaza have been sheltering from the war in the area.
In the statement on X Netanyahu said “The War Cabinet unanimously decided this evening Israel will continue its operation in Rafah, in order to apply military pressure on Hamas so as to advance the release of our hostages and achieve the other objectives of the war.”
Statement from the Prime Minister’s Office:
The War Cabinet unanimously decided this evening Israel will continue its operation in Rafah, in order to apply military pressure on Hamas so as to advance the release of our hostages and achieve the other objectives of the war.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 6, 2024
The latest information made public about a ceasefire proposal centres around a three-stage deal, that’s according to the Hamas deputy chief in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya, who spoke to Al Jazeera TV.
The Reuters news agency has more on the latest proposed deal. The Guardian has not been able to verify the information and what’s on the table remains unclear.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has told Reuters that the proposal that Hamas has approved is a watered-down version of an Egyptian offer and includes elements that Israel can not accept.
Having said that – here is what we know:
Phase one:
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Reuters reports this would last for 42-days as a ceasefire period. Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages in return for Israel releasing Palestinians from Israeli jails.
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Israel would partially withdraw its troops from Gaza and allow free movement of Palestinians from south to north Gaza.
Phase two:
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Another 42-day period would commence that features an agreement to restore a “sustainable calm” to Gaza, language that an official briefed on the talks said Hamas and Israel had agreed in order to take discussion of a “permanent ceasefire” off the table.
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There would be the complete withdrawal of most Israeli troops from Gaza.
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Hamas releases Israeli reservists and some soldiers in return for Israel releasing Palestinians from jail.
Phase three:
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The completion of exchanging bodies and starting the implementation of reconstruction according to the plan overseen by Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations.
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Ending the complete blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Here are some of the latest images of people escaping Rafah after being told to evacuate by the Israeli military:
US president Joe Biden has spoken to the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him against launching an offensive in Rafah.
The White House said Biden had a call with Netanyahu on Monday underscoring US concerns about an invasion of Rafah, where more than 1 million civilians from other parts of Gaza are sheltering.
The leaders’ call occurred before Hamas announced it had accepted a cease-fire proposal.
Biden told Netanyahu he still believes reaching a cease-fire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, officials said.
White House officials also said on Monday they were privately concerned about the latest strikes on Rafah — though they did not appear to be the widescale attack Netanyahu has been threatening, according to a person familiar with administration thinking who was not authorised to comment publicly, reports Associated Press.
Tanks approach outskirts of Rafah, says Egyptian official
A Palestinian security official and an Egyptian official say Israeli tanks have approached Rafah, and reached as close as 200 metres (yards) from the crossing with neighbouring Egypt, reports Associated Press.
It’s understood that area where the tanks are is on the outskirts of Rafah, in southern Gaza.
The Egyptian official said the operation appeared to be limited in scope, the AP reported. The news agency could not independently verify the scope of the operation.
The official and Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV said Israeli officials informed the Egyptians that its troops would withdraw after completing the operation.
The Israeli military declined to comment and the Guardian has not been able to independently verified the reports.
The Egyptian official, located across the border from Rafah, and the Palestinian security official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the press.
On Sunday, Hamas fighters near the Rafah crossing fired mortars into southern Israel, killing four Israeli soldiers.
Qatari mediators heading to Cairo
A Qatari delegation will head to Cairo on Tuesday to resume indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas through the mediators, Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said in a statement.
He said that Hamas sent its response to a truce proposal to mediators on Monday, which could be described as positive, reports Reuters.
Qatar, which alongside Egypt and the United States has played a mediation role in the talks, said it hoped the negotiations would culminate in an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Hamas on Monday it agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and pressed ahead with strikes in Rafah while planning to continue negotiations.
Reged Ahmad here picking up our live coverage of the Israel-Gaza war from Kari Paul.
The UN secretary general has posted on X in the last couple of hours ago calling on the Israeli government and Hamas leadership “come to an agreement & stop the suffering”.
“I’m deeply concerned by indications that a large-scale military operation in Rafah may be imminent,” he says.
I reiterate my urgent call to the Israeli government & Hamas leadership to come to an agreement & stop the suffering.
I’m deeply concerned by indications that a large-scale military operation in Rafah may be imminent.
Protection of civilians is paramount in int’l humanitarian…
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 6, 2024
US official: Rafah strikes do not ‘represent a major military operation’
A US official said the US is “concerned” about Israel’s latest strikes on Rafah, but “does not believe they represent a major military operation,” according to a report from Reuters.
US officials are focused on prevent major military operations targeting “densely populated” areas of Rafah, the source added, and that it “does not appear the Israelis are doing that”.
The Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said on X that Israel is jeapordizing a ceasefire deal by continuing to bomb Rafah.
Tremendous effort has been made to produce an exchange deal that’ll release hostages & realize a ceasefire. Hamas has put out an offer. If Netanyahu genuinely wants a deal, he will negotiate the offer in earnest. Instead, he is jeopardizing the deal by bombing Rafah.
— Ayman Safadi (@AymanHsafadi) May 6, 2024
The statement comes after Abdullah II, the king of Jordan, warned during a meeting with Joe Biden on Monday that an Israeli attack on Rafah threatens to lead to a “new massacre” and that the international community “must take urgent action”.
The United Nations security council has announced its “intention” to hold closed consultations regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to Arab media outlet Al Mayadeen English.
In March the council demanded a “lasting, sustainable ceasefire” and the release of all hostages.
Photos have emerged from some protests taking place outside the main military headquarters in Tel Aviv, calling for a ceasefire deal that would allow for the release of Israeli hostages. Smaller gatherings were reported in Jerusalem and other cities across Israel.
Saudi Arabia condemns targeting of Rafah
As Israel targets the city of Rafah, where many refugees are sheltering, the foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia has called on the international community to “intervene immediately to stop the genocide carried out by the occupation forces”.
“The Israeli occupation forces targeting the city of Rafah as part of its systematic, bloody campaign to storm all areas of the Gaza Strip and displace its residents towards the unknown,” the statement said, according to Haaretz.