Israel says no truce in south Gaza as thousands wait at border crossing
No truce has been reached between Israel and Hamas, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
There had been rumours of a ceasefire to allow “foreigners out” of south Gaza and “humanitarian aid in.”
US media has reported that Egypt could reopen the Rafah crossing for several hours from 09:00 local time – but at the moment the crossing is closed and there’s no guarantee it will happen.
Thousands of people have gathered at the border in the hope of leaving Gaza ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it is evacuating 28 communities within 2km of the Lebanese border.
The Israeli military also said it believes the number of Israelis being held in Gaza by Hama is 199 – that’s up from the estimated 155.
More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed during the Hamas attacks just over a week ago. Nearly 2,700 people in Gaza have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory bombardment.
