Palestinian reports: IDF tanks roll into Rafah city center

Several Israel Defense Forces tanks have reached the center of Rafah, witnesses tell Reuters, three weeks into a ground operation in Gaza’s southernmost city that has drawn intense scrutiny from neighboring Egypt and from the United States, among other countries.

The tanks were spotted near Al-Awda mosque, a central Rafah landmark, the witnesses say.

Footage from Al Jazeera posted to social media purports to show the tanks advancing into Rafah.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the witness accounts, with the military saying it will issue a statement on the Rafah operation later in the day.

Exclusive footage from Al Jazeera shows Israeli occupation tanks advancing further into the west of Rafah city.

The Israeli occupation intends to fully occupy the Philadelphi Axis with Egypt, effectively encircling the Strip and implementing disastrous restrictions. pic.twitter.com/6rgaIOJ8XK

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 28, 2024