Israeli army delivers plan for Gaza's Rafah

By Nathan Morley

The Israeli government says the military has presented the war cabinet with a plan for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from combat zones in Gaza.

This proposal comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would go ahead with an assault on the southernmost city of Rafah, despite strong international concern for the people sheltering there.

The cabinet also approved the direct entry of aid into the northern Gaza Strip. Presently, humanitarian lorries enter Gaza via two crossings in the south and face difficulties reaching the north, often due to hungry civilians raiding the trucks.

As it stands, more than half a million people are currently facing disastrous levels of food insecurity.

Separately, the Palestinian government which administers part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank has submitted its resignation to the president, Mahmood Abbas.

Expansion of conflict

Elsewhere, King Abdullah of Jordan has warned that a continued war in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan could risk expanding the conflict.

Also Monday, Hezbollah claimed it had shot down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile 20 km away from the border between Lebanon and Israel.

The border has been seeing increased tension since October last year.