Blasts, gunfire heard near Rafah crossing as it remains closed under Israeli control

Jerusalem: Gaza’s vital Rafah crossing remained closed Wednesday after Israeli forces seized it the day before. Associated Press journalists heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area overnight, including two large blasts early Wednesday.

Rafah has been a vital conduit for humanitarian aid since the start of the war and is the only place where people can enter and exit. Israel now controls all of Gaza’s border crossings for the first time since it withdrew troops and settlers from the territory nearly two decades ago.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 46 patients and wounded people who had been scheduled to leave Tuesday for medical treatment have been left stranded.

The Israeli military said Wednesday it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed over the weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby. But the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said no aid has yet entered and there is no one to receive it on the Palestinian side.

The UN says northern Gaza is already in a state of “full-blown famine.”

The war in Gaza has driven around 80% of the territory’s population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction to apartments, hospitals, mosques and schools across several cities. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials.

The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

The mayor of Tel Aviv said Wednesday the city will not be holding its traditional Pride Parade this year because of the war in Gaza, instead opting for a scaled down rally.

The liberal coastal metropolis normally throws a weeklong bash with concerts and events in June that culminates in tens of thousands of people marching in a rainbow-drenched parade, which is the Middle East’s largest celebration of Pride. The Israeli military said Wednesday that Palestinian workers heading to the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing were wounded after their vehicle came under fire.

Shortly after the military’s announcement, the militant group Hamas said it struck Israeli forces near Kerem Shalom.