Netanyahu approves plans for Rafah attack, Israeli officials say

Israeli prime minister’s decision may be intended to put pressure on Hamas as negotiations continue

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Benjamin Netanyahu has approved plans for an attack on Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza where more than a million people displaced from elsewhere in the territory have sought shelter, officials in Israel have said.

The decision will provoke deep concern around the world. Any attack on the city is likely to cause significant civilian casualties and worsen an already acute humanitarian crisis across the territory.