Israel launches strikes in Rafah hours after Hamas agrees to a Gaza ceasefire

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike east of Rafah, Gaza Strip on Monday (Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP)

Israel’s military says it is launching “targeted strikes” against Hamas in the southern Gaza city of Rafah after the country’s war cabinet approved a military operation there, officials said late on Monday.

Hours earlier, the Hamas militant group announced it had accepted a ceasefire proposal brought forward by mediators Egypt and Qatar.