live blog
The Israeli military says it has reopened the important Kerem Shalom border crossing. The US has stopped supplying bombs to Israel because of “concerns”. All developments in the live blog.
The Israeli military says it has reopened the Kerem Shalom Gaza border crossing, which is important for humanitarian aid deliveries. This was closed after a deadly rocket attack by the militant Islamist Hamas on Sunday that killed four Israeli soldiers near the border crossing. An Israeli armored brigade also took control of the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday, but it initially remained closed.
The United States has suspended a bomb shipment to Israel because of “concerns” about an Israeli offensive in the Gaza town of Rafah, according to a senior government official. The shipment, which was suspended last week, included 1,800 907-kilogram bombs and 1,700 226-kilogram bombs, said the government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Israel did not fully address U.S. “concerns” about Israel’s plans for an offensive in Rafah. A final decision has not yet been made on how to handle this delivery, the government official said.
The US government has rejected reports that the radical Islamist Hamas agreed to a negotiation proposal for a ceasefire shortly before Israeli troops advanced into Rafah. “Hamas responded and made several counterproposals in its response,” said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. “But that’s not the same as accepting a proposal.”
Miller explained that the draft under discussion was an offer from the end of April. “That was the proposal that was on the table,” said the spokesman. Hamas appears to have publicly announced that it had accepted this offer. But that’s not true. “They have responded with changes – you can call it a counter-proposal – and we are currently working on those details.”
According to a local hospital, seven people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the city of Gaza. Several other people were injured, Al-Ahli Hospital said.
The US government has said Israel has assured it that military action in Rafah is limited. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have arrived in Cairo for further negotiations. You can read the developments in the live blog.