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On Tuesday morning, the Israeli army took full control of the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip after a night of heavy bombardment of the city.Ìý

The Gaza-based General Authority for Crossings and Borders said in a press statement sent to °®Âþµº that the Israeli army tanks stormed the crossing in the early morning, and Israeli soldiers raised the Israeli flag at one of the entrances to the crossing.

Palestinian sources and local eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli army launched dozens of air and ground attacks on the eastern areas of the city of Rafah, leaving dozens injured or killed.

"At least 20 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli attacks, while dozens of others were injured and transferred to the field and local hospitals in the city," a medical source in Rafah told TNA.Ìý

Avichai Adraee, the spokesperson of the Israeli army, claimed in a press statement that "the military forces achieved operational control over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing after receiving intelligence information indicating that the crossing was being used for terrorist purposes by saboteurs as it put it."

"The army forces from the 162nd Division launched a surprise operation to neutralise terrorist targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation east of Rafah," he added.

"As part of the operation, forces from the 401st Brigade's combat group achieved operational control over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, based on intelligence information indicating that saboteurs were using the crossing area for terrorist purposes," he continued.

Adraee claimed that mortar shells were fired from the crossing area towards the Kerem Shalom crossing, which resulted in the death of four Israeli soldiers and the wounding of 10 others.Ìý

The attack on the crossing comes a day after the Israeli army demanded Palestinian residents of the eastern regions evacuate their areas "immediately" before it began a military operation in the region and launched an attack on targets of Hamas, according to the army.Ìý

The Rafah border is the only exit for more than 2.3 million Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave.Ìý