Gaza ceasefire talks end with no deal as Israel ramps up Rafah attacks

Al Jazeera:

The Israeli military has ramped up its attacks in Rafah, southern Gaza, and hit Gaza City while crippling humanitarian aid operations across the Palestinian territory as ceasefire talks ended without a deal.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on Friday that 110,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah. Israeli troops were advancing in the east of the city in close combat operations and conducting air raids.

“People are petrified. People have been fearing this for a long, long time and it is now upon us. There is constant bombardment. There is smoke on the horizon. There are people on the move,” Sam Rose, director of planning for the UNRWA, told Al Jazeera from Rafah.

He said Israel was subjecting Gaza to a “medieval siege” in a “scorched earth” war.

Israeli forces seized control of the Rafah border crossing, sealing the crucial entry point for humanitarian aid.