Prospects dim for truce as Israel rejects calls to spare Rafah

A total of 127 people died in 24 hours, Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry said, as the main battlefront edged closer to far-southern Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians live in crowded shelters and tent camps.

Palestinians mourn near the bodies of loved ones following Israeli bombardment on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, at al-Najar hospital on February 16, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant roup Hamas. (AFP)