Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasn’t given up on the Israeli-Hamas Interaction in the Fourth-Law of the War

Hamas sought clearer guarantees for its key demand of an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal in return for the release of all hostages, but it wasn’t clear if any changes were made.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected that trade-off, vowing to keep up their campaign until Hamas is destroyed after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

The proposal calls for a cease-fire in multiple stages starting with a limited hostage release and partial Israeli troop pullouts within the Gaza Strip. They said that the two sides would try to negotiate a permanent calm that would lead to a full release of captives and Israeli withdrawal from the territory.

The EU’s top diplomat warns that an operation in the area could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. He says not to attack Rafah in the spring.

Does Israel fully understand the meaning of Egypt’s warnings against entering Rafah, says the chair of Egypt’s State Information Service. Will it choose this option at the expense of peace that has lasted for 45 years, and put Egypt in a position where Israel does not really know how it will react?”

The Israeli military said it took over the crossing because it was being used for terrorist purposes. The military did not provide evidence to immediately support the assertion, though it alleged the area around the crossing had been used to launch a mortar attack that killed four Israeli troops and wounded others near the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

The footage was released by the Israeli military. Details of the video matched known features of the crossing and showed Israeli flags flying from tanks that seized the area.

Israel’s tank brigade took control of the Gaza Strip side of the border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday and is moving forward with an assault in the southern city despite the ongoing cease-fire negotiations with Hamas.

The Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip rely on the border crossing with Egypt for transportation. Throughout seven months of war, this has been the only way in and out of Gaza for aid workers and people trying to flee.

Israel’s prime minister said in his statement that he will not accept Hamas’ demands and will keep fighting until the goals are achieved. Hours later, Hamas fires rockets from Rafah toward the Israeli Kerem Shalom crossing point, killing four Israeli soldiers.

After heavy bombardment across Gaza and a full siege barring food, water and fuel from entering the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military begins ordering residents north of Wadi Gaza, including Gaza City, to evacuate south. The military drops leaflets warning that those who remain in Gaza City will be considered supporters of terrorism.

U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths tells WBUR’s “Here and Now” there is “no place of safety for people to shelter” in Gaza. “Now, we know today that diplomacy hasn’t worked,” he said, calling it a point of irreversible tragedy. Where do people find safety if Rafah isn’t safe? “If they try to break out into Egypt, for example, Egyptians are very clear they will not want to accept a major new caseload of Palestinians … and I dread to think [of] the scenes that will follow.”

Palestinians with money to spare can pay thousands of dollars for Egyptian visas to enter Egypt from Gaza, a practice that many describe as extortion and bribes. The UN warns of a risk of famine due to the uninhabitable state of Gaza.

The first aid trucks enter Gaza since the start of the war through the Rafah crossing after President Biden visits Israel and speaks with Egypt’s president. Hundreds of trucks packed with aid are waiting on Egypt’s side of the border.

The center of gravity is the civilians in the war in Gaza according to Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Defense Secretary. He says otherwise Israel risks replacing “a tactical victory with a strategic defeat.”

U.N. Secretary General António Guterres invokes Article 99 for the first time in his tenure, prompting a cease-fire vote at the Security Council. He warned of increased mass displacement into neighboring countries and warned of the threat of forced displacement into Egypt, a veiled reference to pressure on Palestinians in Rafah. 13 countries voted in favor of the resolution, which was vetoed by the U.S.

At a Tel Aviv press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is asked about the Philadelphi Corridor, a stretch of territory in Gaza that borders Egypt. He said the Philadelphi Corridor needs to be closed. Any other arrangement will not guarantee the demilitarization that we want and must guarantee.”

Netanyahu instructed the military to present plans to the Cabinet for an operation that would eliminate Hamas battalions in the city.

President Biden tells Netanyahu in a call that “a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support” for people sheltering there, according to the White House.

Gaza’s health ministry said that 70 Palestinians, including many children, were killed in a raid by the Israeli military in the Rafah area.

Israeli military chief of staff Aviv Kochavi and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar meet with senior Egyptian officials, according to a report by prominent Israeli news outlet Walla, and assure them that an operation in Rafah will be coordinated with them. Egypt and Israel maintain close security coordination. Egypt warns against an attack on Rafah.

At least 25 people were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Rafah, according to Gaza’s health ministry. 13 of the victims are from one family. Over the last six weeks, hundreds of people have died in Rafah in airstrikes.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tells reporters that a major ground attack in Rafah “is a mistake” and that the White House is in discussion with Israel’s government on alternative ways to eliminate Hamas in Gaza.

U.S. Planned to Fly to Gaza for the Rafah Operation and Israel’s Distancing Forces

The Israeli military mobilizes two brigades for duty in Gaza, a move that Israeli news organizations report frees up troops in central Gaza for a Rafah assault.

A senior U.S. official said the U.S. had paused a shipment of more than 3,000 bombs to Israel last week because of concerns they could be used on Rafah. The shipment was paused after it had bombs of 2,000 and 1,700 pounds.