Israeli tanks roll into center Rafah as IDF says secondary blast sparked deadly blaze

Israeli tanks rolled into central Rafah on Tuesday, the same day that the Israel Defense Forces said that a massive deadly blaze in a tent camp in Rafah on Sunday was caused by a secondary explosion sparked by an Israeli airstrike.

Tanks and armored vehicles with machine guns were seen near Rafah's landmark Al-Awda mosque, witnesses told Reuters. The IDF said its forces were in the Rafah area, but did not comment on any advances.

Israel was able to enter Rafah center after starting the operation weeks ago following months of anticipation about a potential invasion of the city, which Israel says is the final stronghold for Hamas in Gaza.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari commented on the cause of the deadly fire in Rafah, which Hamas health officials say killed 45 people on Sunday, the same day that multiple rockets were fired from Rafah into Israel.

Hagari said that Israel fired two munitions targeting senior Hamas members, and that the munitions, each of which weighed 37 pounds, would have been too small to ignite a fire independently, and the IDF is looking into whether weapons were stored in the vicinity of the strike, according to France 24.

The strike may have also caused fuel in the area to ignite, The Associated Press reported.

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