Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said 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 situation in Rafah, where dense tent camps have sprouted to house the displaced, has sparked global concern and Israel’s allies have warned that it must protect civilians in its battle against Hamas.
Netanyahu’s office also said the War Cabinet had approved a plan to deliver humanitarian aid safely into Gaza in a way that would “prevent the cases of looting.” It did not disclose further details.
The war began after Hamas-led militants rampaged across southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.
Nearly 30,000 people in Gaza, two thirds of them women and children, have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave, which does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants. Israel says it has killed 10,000 militants, without providing evidence.
Currently:
- Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of blocking aid to Gaza in violation of a UN court order.
- Palestinian prime minister submits government’s resignation, a move that could open door to reforms.
- Israel vows to target Lebanon’s Hezbollah even if a cease-fire is reached with Hamas in Gaza.
- Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Here’s the latest:
RAFAH, Gaza Strip - The bodies of 90 people killed in Israel’s bombardment have been brought to hospitals in the war-wrecked Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory reported Monday.
Hospitals had also received 164 wounded, it said.
The fresh fatalities brought the death toll in Gaza to 29,782 since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, the ministry said in its daily briefing. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants, but said two thirds of the dead are children and women.
Another 70,043 had been wounded since Oct. 7, it said.
The ministry said many casualties remain under the rubble and first responders have been unable to retrieve them amid the relentless bombing.
The war began after Hamas-led militants rampaged across southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 people hostage.
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