Israeli tanks were seen entering the center of Rafah on Tuesday as the Israel Defense Force’s ground operation in the southern Gaza city entered its third week.

The tanks were reportedly spotted near the Al-Awda mosque, a central landmark, witness told Reuters.

The IDF confirmed that its operations in the area were ongoing, but did not comment on possible activities in the city center.

“Overnight, IDF troops operated on the Philadelphi Corridor while conducting precise operational activity based on intelligence indicating the presence of terror targets in the area,” the IDF said. 

The Philadelphi Corridor is the Israeli name for the 8.7 mile strip that comprises the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

An Egyptian security guard was shot dead at the Gaza-Egypt border on Monday, though neither Egypt nor Israel confirmed if the shooting was the result of a scuffle between the two sides.

News that Israeli tanks were spotted in the Rafan city center coincided with reports that aid deliveries to the beleaguered region were temporarily suspended after the US-built pier in Gaza was damaged by rough seas.

The pier will be repaired, but it was not immediately clear how long that would take, a US official said.

The $320 million pier had only been in operation for two weeks when it was damaged.

In that time, it had already seen three US service members injured and had four of its vessels beached due to volatile waters.

Deliveries were also halted for two days last week when crowds rushed the air delivery and one civilian was shot dead.

Also on Tuesday, Israeli tanks allegedly shelled a tent camp at an evacuation center in Rafah, killing at least 21 people, local health authorities said.

The Hamas-linked Gazan health authorities do not distinguish between civilian and terrorist casualties.

The latest shelling came after a night of heavy bombardment, during which the Israeli forces pushed into western neighborhoods and assumed positions on the  Zurub hilltop in western Rafah.

On Tuesday, witnesses reported seeing gamebattles between the IDF and Hamas-led fighters.

“The activity is being conducted as efforts are continuing to be made in order to prevent harm to uninvolved civilians in the area,” the IDF said.

“The troops are engaging with terrorists in close-quarters combat and locating terror tunnel shafts, weapons, and additional terrorist infrastructure in the area.”

Witnesses in Rafah told Reuters that the Israeli military appeared to be using remote-operated armored vehicles, as there were no visible personnel in or around them.

Israeli tanks had hovered outside of Rafah since the IDF seized the border crossing with Egypt three weeks ago, but had not yet entered the city center.

Israel is facing greater external pressure after a Sunday strike that resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people – including those sheltering in a tent camp – drew international condemnation.

“The word tragic doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday when asked about the strike.

A statement released by a spokesperson for the National Security Council called the images from the bombardment “heartbreaking.”

“Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians,” the statement continued.

“But as we’ve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened, and understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation,” it concluded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called the civilian casualties a “tragic mistake,” and confirmed that the strike is under investigation.

Meanwhile, Spain, Ireland, and Norway will officially recognize Palestine as a state on Tuesday – a move that outraged Israel.

More than 36,000 Palesitnians are believed to have been killed in the Gaza offensive, which started shortly after 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the Oct. 7 terror attack.

Over 250 people were taken back to Gaza as hostages. Of those, around 134 remain in captivity.

With additional reporting by Steven Nelson

With Post wires