The attack by the Israel Defense Forces on Hamas positions in Rafah, southern Gaza, began with a strategic operation to capture key points: the Rafah-Egypt border crossing and the Philadelphi road along the Egyptian border. Israeli forces encountered resistance from Hamas fighters as they battled for control of the area. There were no Israeli casualties reported, but several dozen Palestinian casualties were reported. Social media images and videos showed an Israeli tank replacing the Palestinian flag with the Israeli flag at the Rafah crossing. The IDF stated that the operation was aimed at eliminating Hamas terrorists and dismantling their infrastructure in eastern Rafah. The UN expressed concern about the impact of Israel taking control of the Rafah crossing on aid movement into Gaza. Meanwhile, there is an abundance of humanitarian aid supplies in northern Gaza, but fuel supplies are running low. The Israeli mission in Rafah is expected to proceed slowly and methodically.
