iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Ten prisoners have been recaptured so far, authorities said
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Netanyahu okays plan for operation in Gaza's packed Rafah
Prime minister's office says the military is prepared for the operational side and for the evacuation of the population
A child reacts as Palestinians wait to receive food during the holy month of Ramadan in Rafah. — Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday he had approved the military's plan for an operation in Rafah, where most of war-battered Gaza's population has sought refuge.
Netanyahu "approved the plans for action in Rafah," his office said in a statement, without giving details or a timeline.
The statement said the military was "prepared for the operational side and for the evacuation of the population".
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Rafah is the last major population centre yet to be subjected to a ground assault during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
Israel's military campaign to eliminate Hamas has killed at least 31,490 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
US President Joe Biden, who has supported Israel during the war, has said an Israeli invasion of Rafah would be a "red line" without credible civilian protection plans in place.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Vienna on Friday that Washington had not seen any plans for a Rafah operation, but reiterated that it wants a "clear and implementable plan" to ensure civilians are "out of harm's way".
The office of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas "expressed deep concern over an imminent Israeli military offensive in Rafah, which could result in a new massacre and further displacement of the Palestinian people in Gaza," the official Wafa news agency reported.
"The presidency underscored the urgency for swift intervention by both the US administration and the international community to avert this military attack, which could add to the already immense suffering of the Palestinian people," Wafa said.
ALSO READ:
More news from World
A wave of exceptionally hot weather has blasted parts of South and Southeast Asia this week
The three-term MP is facing central minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar and CPI leader Pannyan Ravindran at Thiruvananthapuram constituency
The prime minister referred to Muslims as "infiltrators" during a campaign speech
The broadcaster accepts the resignation of Huw Edwards nine months after he became embroiled in a scandal
The Centre for Food Safety, Hong Kong has published the list of banned Indian spice variants on its website
Regulations lag pace of climate change. Air pollution kills 860,000 people each year
The two Muslim neighbours were involved in unprecedented tit-for-tat military strikes this year
