Rafah: Intense shelling and gunfire rocked Rafah in southern Gaza on Thursday, residents said, after Israel declared it had seized a strategic corridor along the Palestinian territory's border with Egypt.
The Israeli military launched its incursion into Rafah in early May despite international objections over the safety of Palestinian civilians sheltering in the city.
A strike that sparked a fire and killed dozens in a displacement camp at the weekend drew a wave of fresh condemnation, including a social media campaign with the slogan "All eyes on Rafah" that has been shared by tens of millions of users.
Israel said on Wednesday its forces had taken over the 14-kilometre (8.5-mile) Philadelphi corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, which it alleges was used for weapons smuggling.
Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced Israel had taken "operational control" of the narrow border area, where he said troops had "discovered around 20 tunnels".
Egypt, a longtime mediator in the conflict, has rejected claims of smuggling tunnels running beneath the buffer zone.
"Israel is using these allegations to justify continuing the operation on the Palestinian city of Rafah and prolonging the war for political purposes," a high-level Egyptian source was quoted as saying by state-linked Al Qahera News.
Egyptian officials have said a potential Israeli takeover of Philadelphi could violate the two countries' 1979 peace deal, though there has been no official comment from Cairo since the military's announcement.
On a visit to Beijing, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi called for increased humanitarian assistance to besieged Gaza, and reiterated his country's longstanding opposition to "any attempt at forcing Palestinians to flee their land".
His host, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, called for a "broad-based, authoritative and effective international peace conference" to address the war.
In Gaza, witnesses reported fighting in central and western Rafah. Others said at least five people were killed in a bombardment near an aid warehouse in east Rafah.
Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis said at least "four martyrs were brought to the facility following a bombing" in west Rafah.
Witnesses said Israeli forces had also demolished several buildings in the city's eastern areas where the Israeli incursion began on May 7, initially focusing on the vital Rafah border crossing, a key entry point for humanitarian aid.
An AFP correspondent reported shelling and gunfire in Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood, in the territory's north, where witnesses saw thick plumes of smoke rising over Jabalia refugee camp and Beit Lahia.
A steady stream of civilians have fled Rafah, transporting their belongings on their shoulders, in cars or on donkey-drawn carts. — Reuters
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