Israeli troops gather at a deploying area near Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on May 28, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP)
Witnesses told AFP that Israeli tanks were stationed in the center of Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Tuesday, after intense fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in recent weeks.
Israeli tanks were "stationed on the Al-Awda roundabout in the center of the city of Rafah," a witness said. A security source from Rafah confirmed tanks were in the city center.
Residents reported that clashes had taken place at the roundabout between Israeli troops and militants.
Israel launched its controversial assault on Rafah earlier this month, dismissing concerns for the safety of the 1.4 million Palestinian civilians then sheltering in the city.
Around one million civilians have since fled the city on orders from the Israeli military, the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) reported Tuesday.
Israeli forces also seized the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,096 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry.
Israeli tanks were "stationed on the Al-Awda roundabout in the center of the city of Rafah," a witness said. A security source from Rafah confirmed tanks...