Israel approves Rafah military operation, hours after Hamas accepts cease-fire [Video]

Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces are now striking targets in the area, officials announced Monday.The move came hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the proposal was “far from Israel’s essential demands,” but that it would nonetheless send negotiators to continue talks on a cease-fire agreement.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below:Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but there was no immediate word from Israel, leaving it uncertain whether a deal had been sealed to bring a halt to the seven-month-long war in Gaza.Video above: Israeli cable provider halts Al Jazeera broadcasts, citing government banIt was the first glimmer of hope that a deal might avert further bloodshed. Hours earlier, Israel ordered some 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating the southern …