Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike east of Rafah (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)
Israeli leaders have approved a military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and have begun attacking targets in the area, despite Hamas announcing its acceptance of an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.
Hamas's abrupt acceptance of the deal came hours after Israel ordered the evacuation of Palestinians from Rafah's eastern neighborhoods, signaling that an invasion was imminent.