PREVIEW

Israel Plans Ground Attack on Rafah Gaza's Final Refuge for the Displaced. Al Jazeera reports that Israel plans to expand its ground assault into Rafah where most Palestinians have been forced to seek shelter amid heavy bombardment of Gaza. News of the imminent attack on Rafah has reportedly raised concerns from global aid organizations as Israel continues to stem the flow of aid into the region. "The Khan Younis Brigade of the Hamas organization is disbanded, we will complete the mission there and continue to Rafah. We will continue until the end, there is no other way." Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defense Minister, via X. Approximately 1.9 million of Gaza's 2.3 million people are sheltering in Rafah. Al Jazeera reports that the displaced population lacks protection or basic infrastructure, including access to toilets and clean water. Since the war began on October 7, Gaza's Ministry of Health has reported over 27,000 casualties, mostly women and children. "I want to emphasize our deep concern about the escalation of hostilities in Khan Younis, which has resulted in an increase in the number of internally displaced people seeking refuge in Rafah in recent days." "Thousands of Palestinians have continued to flee to the south, which is already hosting over half the population of some 2.3 million people… Rafah is a pressure cooker of despair, and we fear for what comes next." Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), via Al Jazeera. Talks to end the war, even temporarily, between Israel and Hamas are being mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. However, Al Jazeera reports that it appears unlikely an agreement will be reached that could prevent the imminent ground invasion of Rafah. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT