Gaza live: Biden moves ahead with military aid for Israel as it launches ground assaults on Rafah

China is urging Israel to heed calls from the international community and stop its attacks on Rafah.

"China … strongly calls on Israel to heed the overwhelming demands of the international community, stop attacking Rafah, and do everything it can to avoid a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.

Gaza's health ministry said that 54 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on the enclave in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 34,789 people killed since 7 October.

Additionally, 78,204 have been wounded since the start of the war.

Israeli army vehicles were seen driving along the Gaza-Egypt border in the eastern part of Rafah this morning, waving a huge Israeli flag and the flag of the 401st Armored Brigade, the unit that captured the Rafah border crossing.

Dutch riot police ended a pro-Palestine protest at the University of Amsterdam early on Tuesday, arresting some 125 people in what authorities say were sometimes violent clashes.

Police say protesters used violence at the site, and that the dismantling of the protest was "necessary to restore order".

"We see the footage on social media," they said. "We understand that those images may appear as intense."

Local media reported that protesters shot fireworks at police officers, but no injuries were reported on either side as of yet.

"All is now quiet ... police stay in the vicinity of the Roeterseiland campus," the police added.

The Israeli military said its 401st Armoured Brigade captured the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, Gaza's only crossing with Egypt.

The Salah al-Din road in eastern Rafah, usually connected to the crossing, was also taken by another army brigade.

The Israeli flag was raised at the crossing, while the Palestinian one was left on the floor.

Gaza's General Authority for Crossings and Borders said that passenger entry, as well as aid deliveries have been halted due to the Israeli army's incursion.

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates:

• Israeli forces have stormed the Rafah border crossing, shutting down the only crossing between Gaza and Egypt and causing a halt in aid deliveries and civilian movement
• At least 12 Palestinians have been killed in overnight Israeli attacks on Rafah, while several others were killed in strikes on northern Gaza
• The Israeli army said that two soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone attack near Metula, northern Israel on Monday
• The UN General Assembly is set to vote on a draft resolution that would recognise Palestine as qualified for full UN membership this week. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said that the US should "completely stop funding the UN and its institutions" should this resolution be passed

Al Jazeera reports that Israeli forces have stormed the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza.

Palestinian journalists report that all aid deliveries have been stopped and no one in Gaza is able to travel any more, as the crossing was the only travel point between Egypt and Gaza.

A video shared online shows an Israeli tank reach the Rafah crossing.

Hello Middle East Eye readers, 

If you're just joining our coverage, here's a round up of the latest developments as the Israeli war on Gaza enters its eighth month:

• Hamas accepted a US-mediated ceasefire proposal that it says would ensure a permanent end to the war and the exchange of all Israeli captives with Palestinian prisoners. 

• Israel said it does not agree to the terms of the proposal but added that a delegation would be sent to Cairo to find an agreement. 

• At the same time, the Israeli military intensified bombardment of Rafah as ground troops reportedly advanced towards the Gaza Strip city, indicating a possible start to the long-threatened ground invasion there.  

• Israeli army vehicles advanced towards the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt and the Karerm Shalom crossing with Israel, according to Egyptian and Palestinian media reports. 

• The Israeli military intends to take over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, sources have told CNN and Axios.

• Egypt expects the Israeli military to withdraw from the Palestinian side of Rafah crossing by Wednesday morning, according to Palestinian and Egyptian reports.  

• Several Palestinians have been reported killed and wounded in the ongoing heavy bombardment, with fears of a high death toll in the morning.

At least five Palestinians were killed and scores more injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city of Rafah, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

The strikes came as Israel conducted a “carpet bombing” of sections of Rafah, according to Arabic media reports, with tanks and warplanes pummeling the southern Gaza border town where 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.

Video footage on Social media platform X showed wounded Palestinians being rushed to Kuwait Specialized Hospital. 

Israeli tanks are advancing towards the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as fighter jets heavily bomb the surrounding area, according to Palestinian and Egyptian reports.

Hamas-linked Al-Aqsa TV said at least three Israeli tanks were stationed 200 meters away from the Rafah border crossing, and where heavily shelling the crossing's facilities.

Egyptian outlet Al Qahera News said there were exchanges of fire near the border crossing.

Middle East Eye could not independently verify the reports.

A US official told Reuters that Washington was concerned about Israel's latest strikes against Rafah but it "did not believe they represent a major military operation"

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jeopardising a ceasefire deal by bombing Rafah.

"Tremendous effort has been made to produce an exchange deal that'll release hostages & realize a ceasefire. Hamas has put out an offer. If Netanyahu genuinely wants a deal, he will negotiate the offer in earnest. Instead, he is jeopardizing the deal by bombing Rafah," Safadi said on social media platform X.

Also on Monday, US President Joe Biden hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II in the White House for a pre-planned meeting before Hamas announced it had accepted Qatar and Egypt's ceasefire proposal. 

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said that Hamas’s ceasefire proposal “is inconsistent” with the talks Israel has held indirectly with Hamas via Egyptian and Qatari mediators, adding there are “significant gaps” in the proposal.

Gantz, in a statement, said that Israel faces “a cruel enemy” and that Israel “will never stop the effort to bring back our hostages.”

Gantz’s comments are important because they signal unity within Israel’s war cabinet rejecting Hamas’s ceasefire proposal.

Gantz said Israel“will leave no stone unturned” as an Israeli delegation departs for Cairo to continue talks there.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres called on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement to stop the fighting in Gaza.

“I reiterate my urgent call to the Israeli government & Hamas leadership to come to an agreement & stop the suffering,” he said on the social media platform X.

Guterres added that he was “deeply concerned” that a “large-scale” Israeli military offensive on Rafah appeared to be “imminent”.

Israel’s military is "carpet bombing" areas of eastern Rafah after ceasefire talks appeared to collapse on Monday night, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. 

Israel bombed the eastern part of Rafah with warplanes and artillery, Wafa said. Locals reported flares in the night sky and dozens of reconnaissance drones flying overhead.

The news agency also said Israeli military vehicles are reportedly advancing towards the eastern separation fence of Rafah along Israel proper.

Israel’s military has begun its offensive in eastern Rafah despite an international outcry over the humanitarian costs of an attack and calls from its US ally not to attack the southern border town.

“The IDF is currently conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in southern Gaza,” the Israeli military said on social media platform X.

The announcement comes just hours after Hamas announced that it accepted a ceasefire proposal.