Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing war. Israeli tanks are massing close to built-up areas, and the city is under constant bombardment. Patients and staff are being forced out of hospitals as Israel’s attacks on the city intensify.
The city, a major hub for those displaced from their homes along Gaza's border with Egypt, is now home to over a million Palestinian civilians, many of whom face the prospect of forced evacuation. The UN warns that food and fuel are running out, and aid is not getting through due to the closure of nearby crossings.
At least 34,904 people have been killed and 78,514 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.
Here is what we know:
Mass Displacement In Rafah: UNRWA
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says 110,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since Israel began advancing troops towards the east of the city. Wherever they go, they face the continued threat of Israeli attacks, which have pummeled Gaza from north to south for seven months.
"Nowhere is safe in the Gaza Strip and living conditions are atrocious," said UNRWA, calling again for an "immediate ceasefire".
Delegations Leave Cairo Without Ceasefire Deal
Delegations for Hamas and Israel have left Cairo without a cease-fire deal, Israeli and Egyptian officials said, as per the media reports.
Hamas said earlier in the week that they had agreed to a cease-fire proposal, prompting celebration from both sides, but Israel soon after said the deal was not the one it had proposed and included "significant gaps".
US-Israel Relations At Crossroads
US-Israel relations have reached a critical crossroads, with President Joe Biden warning that he'd halt some weapons shipments to Israel if it invades Rafah.
This comes as a rare rebuke from the US, which has been a strong ally to Israel so far.
Netanyahu Says Israel Will 'Stand Alone' If Needed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said if required, Israel "would stand alone", a statement widely seen as a veiled rebuff to the US's warning to curb arms to the Israeli military.
"If we must stand alone, we shall stand alone. If we must, we shall fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than our fingernails, and with that strength of spirit, with God's help, together we shall be victorious," he said.
IDF Says They Have Enough Arms They Need For Rafah Invasion
Following threats from President Joe Biden to cut off arms to Israel, the Israel Defense Forces say they have the armaments they need for operations in Rafah.
"The IDF has armaments for the missions it plans, and we also have what we need for the missions in Rafah. I say this in the context of everything that has come up with the United States and it is important to say it," Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the IDF, said Thursday.
UN General Assembly To Back Palestine Statehood
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday is set to back a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and sending the application back to the UN Security Council to "reconsider the matter favourably".
The Palestinians are reviving their bid to become a full UN member - a move that would effectively recognise a Palestinian state - after the United States vetoed it in the 15-member UN Security Council last month.
