The Israeli military has seized control of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt today. Authorities said its tanks pushed into the southern Gazan town of Rafah after a night of air strikes on the Palestinian enclave. However, the cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain precarious.

The development came after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war, with the militant group yesterday saying it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated cease-fire proposal. Israel, however, insisted the deal did not meet its core demands.

The Israeli incursion overnight appeared to be short of the full-fledged offensive into Rafah that Israel has planned, and it was not immediately known if it would be expanded.

 The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.3 million Palestinians crammed into the city and threatened to widen a rift between Israel and its main backer, the United States.