Gaza Crisis: Israel Plans Troop Deployment

Almost six months of Israeli bombardment since Hamas's October 7 attack has brought Gaza to its knees with many thousands killed, infrastructure shattered and widespread warnings that its 2.4 million people are on the verge of famine.

Israel plans to send troops into Gaza's Rafah even without US support, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the US top diplomat, as Washington failed to pass a UN resolution on an "immediate" ceasefire.

Netanyahu said he had told Blinken that there was "no way to defeat Hamas" without troops entering Rafah, a plan that has provoked international concern for the 1.5 million civilians trapped in the city.

Washington has repeatedly blocked Gaza ceasefire resolutions at the UN Security Council but tried to pass a text mentioning an "immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal".

Many countries backed the renewed diplomatic push to pause the war, but China and Russia vetoed the US text, which Arab governments complained was too weak and put no pressure on Israel.

The violence meanwhile continued, with Israeli forces raiding Gaza's largest hospital complex for a fifth day, claiming to have killed more than 150 militants in the ongoing operation Hamas has labeled "criminal".

Israel also continued to pound the southern city of Rafah and its surroundings, where most of Gaza's population has taken shelter.

The hard-right government announced it was confiscating 800 hectares of land in the occupied West Bank in a move settlement watchdog Peace Now described as "provocation".

Successive Israeli governments have sharply accelerated the expansion of settlements across the West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem which are regarded as illegal under international law and one of the major obstacles to Middle East peace.