Israel-Hamas war day 214: What's going on in Gaza?

Activists of the Tzav 9 organization blocked Highway 1 near the Latrun Junction at the entrance to Jerusalem on Tuesday overnight and blocked aid trucks making their way to the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, activists blocked roads at various junctions in Jerusalem and its vicinity; Ma'ale Adumim Junction, Mivtza Ze'elim Junction, Mount Scopus, and the French Hill neighborhood in the city.

IDF forces are about to take control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, two anonymous sources told Walla's Barak Ravid.

Hamas sent on Monday to the mediators its response to the truce proposal which could be described as "positive," a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry said early on Tuesday.

Qatar's delegation will head to Cairo on Tuesday to resume indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas through the mediators, Majed Al-Ansari added in a statement.

The United States is concerned about Israel's latest strikes against the southern Gaza city of Rafah but does not believe they represent a major military operation, a US official said on Monday.

The official said US officials are focused on heading off a major military operation into densely populated areas of Rafah and that it does not appear the Israelis are doing that.

"Hamas's last-minute ceasefire proposal is a trap," declared Mosab Hassan Yousef on social media platform X.

The former Hamas terrorist, who later became an undercover agent for Israel's Shin Bet, advised that Israel should not accept the ceasefire unless it includes the unconditional release of all hostages and the resignation of Hamas from power.

Hamas's last-minute ceasefire proposal is a trap

Israel should not fall into Hamas's new trap unless the terror group commits to the release of ALL HOSTAGES and stepping down from power.

This is a trick orchestrated by Hamas hosts, agents, and donors to prevent Israel from…

— Mosab Hassan Yousef (@MosabHasanYOSEF) May 6, 2024

Dozens of Gazans are trying to cross the border to Egypt from Rafah, according to an Egyptian report on Monday.

The report comes as an anticipated Rafah operation has seemingly moved forward.

Israel has reportedly begun launching airstrikes and evacuated some 100,000 of the over one million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant clarified that the invasion was being rolled out incrementally and in multiple stages so that if Hamas at some point agreed to a reasonable hostage exchange deal that was accepted by Israel, it could be halted.

Sirens were sounded in Sderot and the Gaza Envelope on Monday,  despite earlier reports that Hamas had accepted a ceasefire.

A spokeswoman for the municipality of Sderot issued said that six rockets were launched toward the city, with two of the rockets being intercepted, and the remaining four falling outside the city.

Fragments of an interception fell in the yard of a house and no injuries were reported.

Jordan's King Abdullah told US President Joe Biden in a private meeting on Monday that an Israeli offensive in Rafah would lead to a "new massacre" of Palestinian civilians and urged the international community to take urgent action.

"The king warned of the repercussions of the Israeli ground offensive on Rafah, which could cause a regional spillover of the conflict," a statement from the Jordan royal court said after Abdullah had lunch with Biden at the White House.