War in Gaza: 22 people killed in Israeli airstrikes in Rafah
Israeli airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah have killed at least 22 people, including six women and five children, according to Palestinian health officials.
One of the children killed in the strikes overnight into Monday was just 5 days old.
The strikes hit three family homes with those killed taken to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital.
Israel has carried out regular airstrikes in Rafah since the beginning of the war and has threatened to send in ground troops.
Israel has maintained that Rafah is the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza, despite other nations, including the US, warning that an offensive in Rafah would be a humanitarian catastrophe.
Blinken visits Middle East
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins his seventh diplomatic mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began more than six months ago on Monday.
His visit comes just after US President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During the call, Biden reiterated that the US opposes the invasion of Rafah on humanitarian grounds as well as the need for the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia before stopping in Jordan and Israel on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The visit takes place against a backdrop of intensifying protests on university campuses across the US, where students are expressing their opposition to Washington’s support for Israel.
Israeli officials concerned about possible ICC arrest warrants
Israeli officials appeared increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants against the country’s leaders, as international pressure mounts over the war in Gaza.
There was no comment from the court on Monday, and it has given no indication warrants in the case are imminent.
