Israeli army storms Rafah border crossing in Gaza

GAZA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Tuesday stormed the Rafah border crossing in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian and Israel sources.

Palestinian sources told Xinhua that Israeli tanks stormed the Rafah border crossing and Israeli forces have controlled it, preventing Palestinians from moving through the crossing.

"The movement of travelers and humanitarian aid has stopped in both the Rafah border crossing and Kerem Shalom," the General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza said in a brief statement sent to Xinhua.

The Israeli army shared videos showing a tank storming the area of the border. Meanwhile, other pictures released on social media platforms showed an Israeli flag being raised at the entrance of the Rafah border.

The Rafah border crossing is the only outlet for more than 2.3 million Palestinians in the war-torn besieged coastal enclave.

On Monday night, Egypt informed the Palestinian side that Israel's security operation in the vicinity of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing would end on Tuesday morning, a high-ranking security official told Xinhua.

"Egypt has inquired about the Israeli incursion in the vicinity of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, the only link between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, and Israel responded that the operation will end on Tuesday morning," the source said on condition of anonymity.

He added that Israel will not break into the crossing or control it.