Witnesses told Reuters that several Israeli tanks reached Rafah city center on Tuesday.
Witnesses said the tanks were found near Rafah’s central landmark, the Al-Awda Mosque.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the development, saying a statement on the Rafah operation would be issued later.
The report comes as IDF troops continued to operate in the Rafah area overnight. IDF soldiers carried out precision operations based on intelligence indicating terrorist targets in the Philadelphia corridor.
Four IDF brigades operate in Rafah
KAN reported that four IDF brigades were active in Rafah over the past day and began expanding ground maneuvers to new areas, including central Rafah. The 401st Armored Division, the Nahal Brigade, the 12th Brigade and the Bislach Brigade entered Rafah overnight.
The news follows extensive reports that the IDF has succeeded in evicting some 950,000 Palestinian civilians in the two weeks since May 6.
30-40% of Rafah is now under IDF control, not just a small part of the eastern sector, 60-70% of Rafah has been completely evacuated.
Rafah hospitals were closed
This comes amid a worsening humanitarian situation in Rafah. The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday that both the Indonesian field hospital and the Tal al-Sultan clinic in Rafah had closed, leaving only the Tal al-Sultan maternity hospital open.
The Jerusalem Post The IDF was contacted for comment, but they declined to comment at this time. They acknowledged the reports published by Reuters.
Jonah Jeremy Popp and Reuters contributed to this report.
