Egypt Daily News - Egyptian officials reported the presence of Israeli forces on the Palestinian side of the border crossing, the day after Israel announced its rejection of what Hamas announced accepting the Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a truce in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli soldiers stormed Palestinians Rafah crossing with vehicles and tanks in what was called “operational control” that Israel exercised from the Gaza side (from the Palestinian side) on the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

It is also understood from this that Israel has gained control over that southern gate leading to the Gaza Strip.

Israel has gained control of the southernmost point of the Gaza Strip and extending control over the entire buffer strip extending between Gaza and Egypt within the framework of its war aimed at “eliminating Hamas.”

It says that its ability to reach the strategic meeting line known as the (Philadelphia axis) will mean cutting the way for future weapons smuggling operations through secret border tunnels into Gaza.

However achieving these goals will not be quick, amid the huge amount of diplomatic effort currently being exerted and in the midst of the ongoing talks to reach a ceasefire agreement.