Israel: Hamas militants attack main crossing point for delivering aid to Gaza

The attack on Sunday disrupted critical shipments of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza, and dealt a new blow to ongoing ceasefire efforts mediated by Egypt and Qatar.

In another potential setback, Israel said it was shuttering the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera satellite channel, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he rejected Hamas’s latest demands and vowed to keep on fighting.

The Israeli military reported ten launches at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Hamas said it had been targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said ten people were wounded, three seriously.

Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing has become the primary gateway for badly needed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

The military said the crossing was immediately closed, halting deliveries of aid into hard-hit Gaza. It was unclear how long the closure would remain in effect.

The incident comes at a time when Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food, medicine and other humanitarian items.

The attack threatened to complicate the ongoing ceasefire talks in Egypt.

A Hamas delegation was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported “noticeable progress” in the ceasefire talks.

However, Israel has not sent a delegation to Cairo and a senior Israeli official downplayed prospects for a full end to the war while emphasising Israel’s commitment to invading Rafah.

Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the deal calls for an extended pause in fighting in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

But the sides remain at odds over whether the deal would include an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu further lowered expectations on Sunday when he accused Hamas of making unacceptable demands.

While claiming that Israel has shown willingness to make concessions, he said: “Hamas has still held to its extreme positions, first and foremost the withdrawal of our forces from the strip, the conclusion of the war and leaving Hamas intact.”

Mr Netanyahu added: “Israel will not agree to Hamas’s demands, which would mean surrender; it will continue fighting until all of its objectives are achieved.”

Israel launched its war in response to Hamas cross-border attack on October 7, which killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.

An Israeli air and ground offensive has killed more than 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials, displaced some 80 per cent of Gaza’s population and led to a humanitarian disaster.

Mr Netanyahu meanwhile said his government had voted unanimously to shut down the local offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera. There was no immediate comment from the channel headquarters in Doha, Qatar.