Israel closes Rafah crossing amid airstrikes on Gaza despite ceasefire

Israel closed the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza on Tuesday, preventing the departure of injured Palestinians for medical treatment abroad.

According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Israel told workers on the Palestinian side of the crossing that the terminal had been closed.

"The EU Border Assistance Mission at the crossing has been notified of the decision," KAN said.

The Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt was reopened last month under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel to allow injured Palestinians to leave the enclave for medical treatment abroad.

The Israeli army pounded the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing more than 320 people and injuring hundreds, despite the ceasefire agreement.

Images emerging from Gaza showed that the majority of the victims were civilians, including women and children, whose homes were bombed during the night.

More than 48,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 112,000 others injured in a brutal Israeli military campaign in Gaza since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.