The Latest | Israel launches strikes in Rafah, hours after Hamas agrees to a Gaza cease-fire

By The Associated Press

Israel’s military says it is conducting “targeted strikes” against Hamas in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The country’s War Cabinet approved a military operation there late Monday. Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold. However, the United States opposes a full-scale invasion of Rafah unless Israel provides a “credible” plan for protecting civilians there. More than a million people are huddled in tents and overcrowded apartments in Rafah. Hours earlier, the Hamas militant group announced it had accepted a cease-fire proposal brought forward by mediators Egypt and Qatar. A cease-fire could end seven months of war in Gaza — but it’s uncertain whether a deal had been sealed. Israel has said the proposal did not meet its “core demands.”