Israel claims '20 terrorists' killed in Rafah attack as it rejects peace deal

ISRAELI tanks rolled into Rafah yesterday as missile attacks on the city "killed 20 terrorists" - hours after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed a potential peace deal accepted by Hamas.

- Mark Reynolds

The rocket strikes and military thrust into the southern Gaza enclave came as Mr Netanyahu branded the ceasefire proposal agreed by the proscribed terror group through mediators as being "far from meeting" his demands.

Government spokesman Avi Hyman said: "We said from the beginning of the war we needed to take out the 24 Hamas battalions.

"The objective of our war is to destroy Hamas, bring home the hostages and ensure Gaza doesn't pose a threat to Israel again."

A spokesman for the Israeli Defence Forces said: "The IDF began a precise counterterrorism operation in the eastern Rafah area.

"Following intelligence that indicated the Rafah crossing in eastern Rafah was being used for terrorist purposes, IDF troops obtained operational control of the Gazan side of the crossing overnight."

The spokesman said the IDF "struck and eliminated Hamas terror targets in the Rafah area" and "approximately 20 terrorists have been eliminated and three operational tunnel shafts located".

He further warned the IDF would continue to operate against Hamas in eastern Rafah and in the Rafah crossing area.