China urged Israel to stop its military operation in Rafah ‘as soon as possible’, warning of a ‘serious humanitarian disaster’ there if fighting did not stop.
Israel faced growing international pressure on Tuesday to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, as it planned an incursion into the southern Gaza city Rafah where more than a million Palestinians are trapped. CIA Director William Burns was due in Cairo on Tuesday for a new round of talks on a Qatari-mediated ceasefire that would temporarily halt fighting in exchange for Hamas freeing hostages.