Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will launch an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah regardless of truce talks with Hamas. He insisted that the war would continue until Israel had achieved all of its objectives in Rafah. Netanyahu’s statement came amid ongoing attempts to try to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and hostage releases.

At a meeting of the hostages’ relatives, Mr Netanyahu said he would invade with or without a deal. His comments follow renewed warnings by the US against a Rafah invasion unless civilians were properly protected.

Meanwhile, the West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that an invasion of Rafah would be the biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history. US President Joe Biden has described an invasion of Rafah as a red line. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said an assault on Rafah would be an unbearable escalation. He also appealed all the influence to do everything to prevent it.