Summary
That concludes today’s blog on the ongoing crisis in Israel and Gaza. Here’s the latest from today:
At least 74 civilians in Palestine were reportedly killed due to Israel’s airstrike in Rafah, Reuters reported, citing Palestine TV. The death toll from the Rafah airstrikes increased from 67 reported earlier today.
US officials said that Israel’s airstrike launched in Rafah doesn’t represent a full-scale offensive. The White House and the US state department both repeated that the US is in favor of an “extended humanitarian pause” in fighting in Gaza, but did not call for an official ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
The White House said on Monday that Israel should protect the over 1 million civilians living in Rafah amid airstrikes. The White House is reiterating that Israel must have a credible plan to protect the people in Rafah before its planned invasion of the southern Gaza city.
The US said it would not be threatening to hold back funding or military assistance from Israel in light of Israel’s bombing of Rafah, state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday.
Hamas says three of eight Israeli hostages injured in Rafah airstrikes have died. A Hamas spokesperson said that they would postpone releasing the names of the deceased until “the fate of the remaining wounded becomes clear”.
Thank you for reading the Guardian’s coverage.
Updated
France evacuated 42 people from Gaza on Monday through the Rafah border crossing, AFP reported.
French officials evacuated 42 people from Gaza, including French nationals and staff from the French cultural institute.
“After a request from France, 42 people today left the Gaza Strip through the Rafa border crossing” which is located in Egypt, France’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
