The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that it had taken “operational control” of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing. Wael Abu Omar, a Gaza border official, said travel and the flow of aid into the Strip have “stopped completely” as a result. Hamas earlier said it agreed to a Qatari-Egyptian cease-fire proposal and Israel said it would send meditators to negotiate in Egypt, renewing hopes for a pause in fighting even as the Israeli Defense Forces said it struck more than 50 targets in Rafah.