Hamas said in a statement that the attack was "a dangerous escalation against a civilian facility protected by international law, which aims to worsen the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, destabilize it and deny emergency relief assistance to our besieged people through To stop the flow of.

Hamas said the escalating tensions threatened the lives of thousands of displaced civilians in Rafah and the entire Gaza Strip, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel's military said on Tuesday it had taken control of the Gaza Strip at the Rafah crossing in an overnight offensive.

The crossing, which served as a route for humanitarian aid from Egypt to war-torn Gaza, was out of service.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas' armed wing al-Qassam Brigades said its militants "attacked Israeli troops deployed around the Rafah crossing".

The Israeli attack came after Hamas told the Egyptian and Qatari sides that the movement had approved their proposal regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas said it confirmed Israel's intention to disrupt mediation efforts for a ceasefire and the release of prisoners.