Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said earlier that the army had presented to the War Cabinet its operational plan for a ground offensive into Rafah, Gaza's southernmost town along the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safety.
US President Joe Biden says Israel would be willing to halt its war on Hamas in Gaza during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some of the hostages held by the militants.
Negotiators from the US, Egypt, and Qatar are working on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting. During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said earlier that the army had presented to the War Cabinet its operational plan for a ground offensive into Rafah, Gaza's southernmost town along the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safety.
The war has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the situation in Rafah has sparked global concern. Israel's allies have warned that it must protect civilians in its battle against Hamas. In the past 24 hours alone, the bodies of 96 people streamed into hospitals along with 144 wounded, Gaza's Health Ministry said.
Nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed after almost five months of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, according to the Health Ministry, which does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants.
Israel says it has killed 10,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war began after Hamas-led militants stormed across southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.
(PTI story)
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