Israel advances plans for offensive in Rafah. Will there be more targeted strikes instead of the feared large-scale invasion? Israel's army is pushing ahead with plans for a controversial military offensive.
Israel wants to destroy the last four remaining Hamas battalions in Gaza. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls for the protection of civilians in the sealed-off coastal strip. The USA, as Israel's most important ally, is pressing for the Jewish state to refrain from a feared major invasion of the city.