- Israel's military said on Tuesday that it had assumed "operational control" over the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing, while a Palestinian official said all movements had stopped at the facility.

- Speaking to reporters in Lebanon's Beirut, Hamas official Osama Hamdan warned that if Israel's attack continues in Rafah, there will be no ceasefire deal.

- Meanwhile, Egypt hosted delegations from Hamas, Israel, Qatar and the United States in Cairo on Tuesday, with the aim of reaching a "comprehensive truce" in the Gaza Strip.

- Xinhua, citing Egyptian sources, reported that the talks held with the Israeli negotiators in Egypt for a truce with Hamas were "positive" and could lead to an imminent end of the current Israeli military operation in Rafah.

- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday reiterated his appeal for Israel and Hamas to show the "political courage" and spare no effort to secure a ceasefire.