Rafah crossing : “We have operational control of the area and the crossing,” a Israeli military official said.

Military operations at the crossing are ongoing, the official added.

"We have special forces scanning the crossing; that is what's happening in the upcoming hours," they said. "We have operational control of the area of the crossing and we have special forces handling there."  

The official refused to say how long Israeli troops would control the crossing,

Video from the Israel Defense Forces showed Israeli flags raised on the Palestinian side of the crossing (Above right).

Earlier, a Palestinian official said all movement on the crossing had stopped after Israeli tanks captured the facility on the Palestinian side.

There's "nowhere safe to go" in Gaza, aid worker says:

Palestinians awoke to the sound of Israeli airstrikes in Rafah on Tuesday, with hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the southern Gaza city at a loss for where to go next, an aid worker said.

Speaking to CNN from Rafah, Suze van Meegen, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council's (NRC) operations in Gaza, said she saw thousands of people fleeing the airstrikes and the "increasing sound of artillery southeast as well, which is very close to the Rafah crossing."

"Not only is there nowhere safe to go, for many people there's also no way to get there," she said.

More than 1 million Palestinians have fled to Rafah during seven months of war; many of them have described their fear and despair after Israel's military told them to evacuate eastern parts of the city on Monday.

Israel's deadly strikes early Tuesday came after Israeli officials said ceasefire terms that Hamas responded to Monday were "Far from" meeting its demands.

Confusion over a purported ceasefire deal had initially sparked "huge celebrations on the streets" of Rafah before the Israeli bombing resumed, Van Meegen said.

"It's adding to the confusion, but also the emotional roller coaster that people are being dragged along," she said.

"What we're seeing is that people just can't  take anymore of the ups and downs and the uncertainty — and wondering whether they can protect their kids and families."

Above Right | Two Israeli flags mounted outside the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing’s main building

Source | CNN