Israeli forces shelled Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and engaged in close-quarter combat with Hamas militants, residents and Israel’s military said. The Israelis appeared to be trying to complete their capture of Rafah, the city on the enclave’s southern edge that has been the focus of an Israeli assault since early May, the residents said. Tanks were forcing their way into the western and northern parts of the city, having already captured the east, south and centre.
