Israeli tank fire and airstrikes killed 18 people in Gaza, including four children, according to Palestinian officials. At the same time, authorities reported that Israel has stopped allowing patients to evacuate through the Rafah border crossing. The Israeli military stated that its troops opened fire after a gunman shot and seriously wounded a reservist soldier. These strikes focused on Gaza City and Khan Younis.

The Red Crescent reported that patients arriving at a Khan Younis hospital for evacuation were informed that the border crossing was closed. However, Cogat, the Israeli agency that handles civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, claimed the Rafah crossing was still open. They stated they had simply not received the necessary coordination details from the World Health Organization.

Opening the border crossing was a key requirement of the October ceasefire linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan. On Tuesday, 16 patients and 40 companions were able to cross into Egypt. Gaza health officials report that Israeli fire has killed at least 530 people, most of them civilians, since the ceasefire began. During that same time, Israeli authorities say Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers.