Our live page covering the latest updates in the Israel-Gaza war will be pausing shortly, but before we go here's a quick summary of what's been happening today.
Israel's military has ordered more people in areas of Rafah, in southern Gaza, to evacuate to western parts of the Gaza Strip
The call comes as Israel intensifies its operation in the city, and claims to have had face-to-face battles with Hamas there
Hours before the order, the US said Israel may have breached international law with US weapons in Gaza
About 300,000 Gazans have moved towards al-Mawasi since Monday, the IDF has said
UN humanitarian agencies say they will run out of food for south Gaza today, after the closure of Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings
At least 34,971 people have been killed in Gaza since the 7 October attacks, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said today
Today’s live page was written by Ece Goksedef and Henri Astier, and edited by me.
Cairo refuses to co-ordinate with Israel over Rafah crossing, Egyptian media reports
Egypt is refusing to co-ordinate with Israel on humanitarian aid entries into Gaza through the Rafah crossing, according to Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera TV network.
The reason for refusal is "Israel's unacceptable escalation," Al Qahera TV reports, citing a senior official.
The Rafah crossing, which lies between Egypt and Gaza, was the only crossing into Gaza which has not been directly controlled by Israel - until the Israeli military said its troops had taken "operational control" of the Palestinian side of the crossing earlier this week.
A timeline of evacuations in the Gaza Strip
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
During its campaign in Gaza following the 7 October attacks by Hamas, the Israeli army has repeatedly ordered the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from areas where it has carried out its attacks.
The southern city of Rafah is the last city where many have taken refuge.
Here is a short timeline of the evacuations:
13 October: Israeli army orders civilians who live north of Wadi Gaza, which sits in centre of the strip, to move south. Within two days, hundreds of thousands leave the area, mostly to the city of Khan Younis
16 November: Israeli military planes drop leaflets in some parts of southern Gaza, including Khan Younis, warning the Palestinians to leave. Israeli officials say safe zones are being created on the southwest Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast. Thousands flee there to see there is no water, no infrastructure to provide basic needs, but some makeshift tents
23 January: The Israeli army orders the evacuation of Khan Younis, where about half a million Gazans are taking shelter. Evacuation orders include the people being treated in the biggest three hospitals in the city. Displaced people mostly take shelter in Rafah
6 May: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) orders people in eastern parts of the city of Rafah to evacuate. According to UN figures, 1.7 million people in Gaza have been displaced by the war, with 1.4 million of them crowded into Rafah on the Egyptian border. The Gaza Strip had a population of more than two million before the war
11 May: The IDF says "approximately 300,000 Gazans have moved towards the humanitarian area in al-Mawasi" since Monday
In pictures: Pro-Palestinian protests held in several countries
Lots of images have been coming in to us showing demonstrations taking place in various cities globally in solidarity with people in Gaza.
Many protesters have been holding banners calling for a ceasefire and here are some of the latest photos:
EPACopyright: EPA
Crowds have been gathering in the Spanish capital Madrid in support of PalestiniansImage caption: Crowds have been gathering in the Spanish capital Madrid in support of Palestinians
EPACopyright: EPA
There have also been demonstrations in the Italian city of TurinImage caption: There have also been demonstrations in the Italian city of Turin
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, supporters of Palestine have been holding a protest march in Tokyo, JapanImage caption: Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, supporters of Palestine have been holding a protest march in Tokyo, Japan
Israel's taking Gaza 'slice by slice' - former BBC Middle East correspondent
Palestinians evacuating Rafah, 11 MayCopyright: Palestinians evacuating Rafah, 11 May
We've been hearing from the BBC's former Middle East correspondent Jim Muir, who has been commenting on Israel's intensifying operations in Rafah.
He tells BBC Radio 5 live that: “The Americans do not want to see a big operation" in the city and adds "there will be more arms withheld if it sees that going on".
Muir continues by saying "the writing is on the wall for the Israelis" and says he "never thought they would do one massive push".
"What they are doing is what I'm calling ‘salami tactics’; where they're [taking Gaza] sort of slice-by-slice," he says.
Rafah residents take shelter in Deir al-Balah
Following the calls from the Israeli army to evacuate eastern parts of Rafah, some people have fled north to Deir al-Balah - one of the sites the Israeli army calls "an expanded humanitarian area".
The city is packed with tents and families have been struggling to find a place to set up new makeshift homes.
Here are some of the latest pictures we've been seeing of the area:
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Israel says rockets fired at Kerem Shalom crossing
The Israeli army says rockets have been launched today from Rafah towards the Kerem Shalom crossing, near Egypt, which is one of the main crossings used to deliver aid into Gaza.
One was intercepted and three others fell in open areas, causing no casualties, according to the military.
The Israeli army has blamed Hamas for the rockets.
The latest rocket fire came hours after Israel expanded an evacuation order for eastern Rafah, where the UN says 1.4 million people have been sheltering.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Hamas releases video of British-Israeli hostage
Hamas's armed wing has released another video of an Israeli hostage.
He is dual British-Israeli national Nadav Popplewell, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim on 7 October.
In the 11-second clip, the 51-year-old identifies himself by name, before the video cuts to a question mark superimposed with text in Arabic and Hebrew: "Time is running out. Your government is lying."
Nadav Popplewell has an obvious bruise under one of his eyes. It is not clear when the video was taken.
He was taken hostage with his mother Channa Peri. His brother Roy was killed in the 7 October attacks. Channa Peri was released in November.
Nadav’s sister Ayelet Svatitzky told the BBC in October that Nadav was diabetic. She said the medication issue was "really troubling and worrying".
Svatitzky and her brothers are all British. The family originally came from Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
'It's going to be the final corner of Gaza and that is terrifying'
"We've had a significant increase in bombardment and it's definitely advancing towards us,” says a UN official in western Rafah.
Louise Wateridge from UNRWA agency told the BBC this morning that the area, which was packed with makeshift shelters a week ago, has a lot of space now as families are getting ready to leave.
“The people here have the fear of knowing you are trapped. They know aid is not coming in - that sends panic,” she said.
The Rafah crossing, through which humanitarian aid had been coming into the enclave, has been closed for several days.
People are wondering where they are going to get food and water, Wateridge says.
“If this military operation continues, it's going to be the final corner of Gaza that's destroyed and that is very terrifying for the people here,” she adds.
What has happened so far?
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Displaced Palestinians are evacuating a tent camp in Rafah ahead of the Israeli offensiveImage caption: Displaced Palestinians are evacuating a tent camp in Rafah ahead of the Israeli offensive
As we have been reporting, Gazans in the southern city of Rafah have been leaving for the western parts of the enclave ahead of an expected Israeli offensive.
Here is what has been happening so far:
Israeli tanks have encircled an area in the east of Rafah, after telling residents to leave
About 300,000 Gazans had moved towards Al-Mawasi since Monday, the IDF said
The military has bombarded parts of eastern Rafah and reported “face-to-face battles” in the city
This morning, the Israeli army called on more neighbourhoods in Rafah to evacuate to western parts of the Gaza Strip
UN humanitarian agencies say they will run out of food for south Gaza today, after the closure of Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings
At least 34,971 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war on 7 October, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said on Saturday
In pictures: Aftermath of strikes in Al-Maghazi refugee camp
Israeli strikes targeted the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip once again overnight.
The camp lies to the east of what Israeli army calls "an extended humanitarian zone" around Deir al-Balah.
Here are some images from the camp in the aftermath of the strikes:
Much of Al-Maghazi camp, which had been experiencing overcrowding after people fled bombardments further north, now lies in ruinsImage caption: Much of Al-Maghazi camp, which had been experiencing overcrowding after people fled bombardments further north, now lies in ruins
Analysis
Parts of Rafah now look like a ghost town
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
AFPCopyright: AFP
Parts of Rafah that were packed with locals and displaced people just days ago now look like ghost towns.
Flyers have been dropped and social media posts put out ordering people to leave more neighbourhoods. It signals that having encircled an eastern area where evacuation orders were previously given, Israeli tanks may now be ready to push towards the city centre.
At the same time, the humanitarian situation is worsening across southern Gaza, as no aid can enter through the two main crossings.
In the past day, Israeli has carried out dozens of air strikes against what it calls terrorists and terrorist infrastructure across the territory. It’s also instructed residents to leave parts of northern Gaza, indicating that its forces may return there months after they left.
Death toll nears 35,000 in Gaza
At least 34,971 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war on 7 October, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said in its latest estimate of the overall death toll.
At least 78,641 others have been wounded during Israel's military
offensive, according to the ministry.
Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages.
'Face-to-face battles' in eastern Rafah, according to IDF
Israel Defense Forces has posted on X, formerly called Twitter, saying that over the past day "fighters of the combat team of the Givati Brigade eliminated a number of terrorists in face-to-face battles" in Rafah.
They continue by saying that the brigade have in addition "destroyed terrorist infrastructures established in the area".
The IDF post also says that fighters of the 401st Brigade combat team have "located a number of underground shafts and closed another circle of armed terrorists in the area" in co-operation with the air force.
UN votes in favour of granting Palestine enhanced status
John Sudworth
North America Correspondent reporting from New York
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour addressed UN delegates yesterdayImage caption: Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour addressed UN delegates yesterday
The United Nations General Assembly has voted on Friday in favour of a resolution granting Palestine enhanced status within the organisation.
In a heated debate ahead of the vote, the Israeli ambassador called the vote a “travesty”, producing a mini-shredder into which he fed a pocket sized UN charter.
The General Assembly vote - with 143 nations in favour - confers significant additional rights to Palestine, which currently holds what’s known as non-member observer status at the UN.
For the first time, it can fully take part in debates, propose agenda items and have its representatives elected to committees, although it still won’t have voting rights – something only the UN Security Council has the power to confer.
The charity Oxfam has described the potential consequences of an escalating military offensive in Rafah as "unconscionable".
A spokesperson from the UK charity has said that the “consensus in the international community is clear".
Quote Message: As Israeli bombs fall on homeless, starving and wounded Palestinians, there are no longer any places of safety in Gaza." from Oxfam spokesperson
As Israeli bombs fall on homeless, starving and wounded Palestinians, there are no longer any places of safety in Gaza."
The spokesperson goes on to say "there are no functioning hospitals and there is extremely limited aid available".
The charity has also criticised the UK government, saying that it “will be complicit in this carnage as long as it continues to sell arms to Israel”.
Lord Cameron has said "the latest assessment leaves our position on export licences unchanged" but adds "we continue to have to have grave concerns around the humanitarian access issue in Gaza".
UN calls for investigation into alleged mass graves near two Gazan hospitals
The United Nations Security Council has called for an independent investigation into "reports of the discovery of mass graves" near two hospitals in Gaza.
Hundreds of bodies, including women, children and older people, have allegedly been found in and around Gaza's Nasser and al-Shifa medical facilities, the UN Security Council has said in a statement.
It calls for independent investigations to start immediately and to "be allowed unimpeded access to all locations of mass graves".
The UN Security Council members also reaffirmed in the statement the importance of protecting "civilians and civilian objects" under international law.
In pictures: Palestinians leave Rafah ahead of planned Israeli offensive
Rafah has been a shelter for more than one million Gazans for months.
But now, tens of thousands of people are leaving the city in southern Gaza to find safer areas ahead of Israel's expected offensive.
Here are some of the latest pictures we've been seeing as people gather themselves for the journey ahead:
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
A young boy stands next to his belongings as he prepares to evacuateImage caption: A young boy stands next to his belongings as he prepares to evacuate
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
People have loaded their possessions on to animal-drawn cartsImage caption: People have loaded their possessions on to animal-drawn carts
AFPCopyright: AFP
A Palestinian girl carries a toddler amid the exodusImage caption: A Palestinian girl carries a toddler amid the exodus
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
A crowd of people squeeze on to the top of a vehicle leaving RafahImage caption: A crowd of people squeeze on to the top of a vehicle leaving Rafah
About 300,000 Gazans have moved towards al-Mawasi since Monday - Israeli army
As we've been reporting, the IDF has ordered the evacuation of Palestinians from more neighbourhoods in the southern city of Rafah, following similar orders for residents to evacuate to "humanitarian areas" earlier in the week.
The Israel Defense Forces has released a statement saying that "so far approximately 300,000 Gazans have moved towards the humanitarian area in al-Mawasi" since the order was given on Monday.
The calls for the "temporary evacuation" are being communicated to residents through "flyers, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic," the statement has also said.
The IDF also say they have called for people in and around Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, to "temporarily evacuate to shelters in western Gaza City" in order to "reduce harm" to residents "following attempts by Hamas to reassemble" in the area.
WFP and UNRWA will run out of food for south Gaza today - UN official
Twitter / UNOCHACopyright: Twitter / UNOCHA
The closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings severed access for fuel, supplies and the movement of humanitarian staff, says Georgios Petropoulos, who is the head of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The shutdowns "also affected any movement of civilians who could go out on medical evacuation”, Petropoulos has said.
In a video filmed on Friday but posted today on X, formerly known as Twitter, Petropoulos said the “World Food Programme (WFP) and UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) will run out of food for distribution in the south by tomorrow,” which means they would run out of food as of today.
He says this means people will be left "only with the aid that has already been distributed in their shelters, in their homes and on site".
Petropoulos has also said there are only four bakeries left operating in limited capacity in south Gaza, and they will be out of stock by Monday.
Live Reporting
Edited by Jack Burgess
All times stated are UK
ReutersCopyright: Reuters -
Israel's military has ordered more people in areas of Rafah, in southern Gaza, to evacuate to western parts of the Gaza Strip
-
The call comes as Israel intensifies its operation in the city, and claims to have had face-to-face battles with Hamas there
-
Hours before the order, the US said Israel may have breached international law with US weapons in Gaza
-
About 300,000 Gazans have moved towards al-Mawasi since Monday, the IDF has said
-
UN humanitarian agencies say they will run out of food for south Gaza today, after the closure of Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings
-
At least 34,971 people have been killed in Gaza since the 7 October attacks, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said today
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images - 13 October: Israeli army orders civilians who live north of Wadi Gaza, which sits in centre of the strip, to move south. Within two days, hundreds of thousands leave the area, mostly to the city of Khan Younis
- 16 November: Israeli military planes drop leaflets in some parts of southern Gaza, including Khan Younis, warning the Palestinians to leave. Israeli officials say safe zones are being created on the southwest Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast. Thousands flee there to see there is no water, no infrastructure to provide basic needs, but some makeshift tents
- 23 January: The Israeli army orders the evacuation of Khan Younis, where about half a million Gazans are taking shelter. Evacuation orders include the people being treated in the biggest three hospitals in the city. Displaced people mostly take shelter in Rafah
- 6 May: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) orders people in eastern parts of the city of Rafah to evacuate. According to UN figures, 1.7 million people in Gaza have been displaced by the war, with 1.4 million of them crowded into Rafah on the Egyptian border. The Gaza Strip had a population of more than two million before the war
- 11 May: The IDF says "approximately 300,000 Gazans have moved towards the humanitarian area in al-Mawasi" since Monday
EPACopyright: EPA Crowds have been gathering in the Spanish capital Madrid in support of PalestiniansImage caption: Crowds have been gathering in the Spanish capital Madrid in support of Palestinians 
EPACopyright: EPA There have also been demonstrations in the Italian city of TurinImage caption: There have also been demonstrations in the Italian city of Turin 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, supporters of Palestine have been holding a protest march in Tokyo, JapanImage caption: Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, supporters of Palestine have been holding a protest march in Tokyo, Japan 
Palestinians evacuating Rafah, 11 MayCopyright: Palestinians evacuating Rafah, 11 May 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Displaced Palestinians are evacuating a tent camp in Rafah ahead of the Israeli offensiveImage caption: Displaced Palestinians are evacuating a tent camp in Rafah ahead of the Israeli offensive -
Israeli tanks have encircled an area in the east of Rafah, after telling residents to leave
-
About 300,000 Gazans had moved towards Al-Mawasi since Monday, the IDF said
-
The military has bombarded parts of eastern Rafah and reported “face-to-face battles” in the city
-
This morning, the Israeli army called on more neighbourhoods in Rafah to evacuate to western parts of the Gaza Strip
-
UN humanitarian agencies say they will run out of food for south Gaza today, after the closure of Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings
-
At least 34,971 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war on 7 October, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said on Saturday
EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockCopyright: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock A Palestinian woman looks at what is left of her homeImage caption: A Palestinian woman looks at what is left of her home 
EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockCopyright: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock A Palestinian child walks on the rubble of her family houseImage caption: A Palestinian child walks on the rubble of her family house 
EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockCopyright: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock A man tries to retrieve personal itemsImage caption: A man tries to retrieve personal items 
EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockCopyright: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Much of Al-Maghazi camp, which had been experiencing overcrowding after people fled bombardments further north, now lies in ruinsImage caption: Much of Al-Maghazi camp, which had been experiencing overcrowding after people fled bombardments further north, now lies in ruins Analysis
AFPCopyright: AFP 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour addressed UN delegates yesterdayImage caption: Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour addressed UN delegates yesterday 
REUTERS/Hatem KhaledCopyright: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters A young boy stands next to his belongings as he prepares to evacuateImage caption: A young boy stands next to his belongings as he prepares to evacuate 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters People have loaded their possessions on to animal-drawn cartsImage caption: People have loaded their possessions on to animal-drawn carts 
AFPCopyright: AFP A Palestinian girl carries a toddler amid the exodusImage caption: A Palestinian girl carries a toddler amid the exodus 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters A crowd of people squeeze on to the top of a vehicle leaving RafahImage caption: A crowd of people squeeze on to the top of a vehicle leaving Rafah 
Twitter / UNOCHACopyright: Twitter / UNOCHA
Latest PostWe're about to close today's live page
Jack Burgess
Live page editor
Our live page covering the latest updates in the Israel-Gaza war will be pausing shortly, but before we go here's a quick summary of what's been happening today.
Today’s live page was written by Ece Goksedef and Henri Astier, and edited by me.
You can read more with our full story from the day here.
Cairo refuses to co-ordinate with Israel over Rafah crossing, Egyptian media reports
Egypt is refusing to co-ordinate with Israel on humanitarian aid entries into Gaza through the Rafah crossing, according to Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera TV network.
The reason for refusal is "Israel's unacceptable escalation," Al Qahera TV reports, citing a senior official.
The Rafah crossing, which lies between Egypt and Gaza, was the only crossing into Gaza which has not been directly controlled by Israel - until the Israeli military said its troops had taken "operational control" of the Palestinian side of the crossing earlier this week.
A timeline of evacuations in the Gaza Strip
During its campaign in Gaza following the 7 October attacks by Hamas, the Israeli army has repeatedly ordered the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from areas where it has carried out its attacks.
The southern city of Rafah is the last city where many have taken refuge.
Here is a short timeline of the evacuations:
In pictures: Pro-Palestinian protests held in several countries
Lots of images have been coming in to us showing demonstrations taking place in various cities globally in solidarity with people in Gaza.
Many protesters have been holding banners calling for a ceasefire and here are some of the latest photos:
Israel's taking Gaza 'slice by slice' - former BBC Middle East correspondent
We've been hearing from the BBC's former Middle East correspondent Jim Muir, who has been commenting on Israel's intensifying operations in Rafah.
He tells BBC Radio 5 live that: “The Americans do not want to see a big operation" in the city and adds "there will be more arms withheld if it sees that going on".
Muir continues by saying "the writing is on the wall for the Israelis" and says he "never thought they would do one massive push".
"What they are doing is what I'm calling ‘salami tactics’; where they're [taking Gaza] sort of slice-by-slice," he says.
Rafah residents take shelter in Deir al-Balah
Following the calls from the Israeli army to evacuate eastern parts of Rafah, some people have fled north to Deir al-Balah - one of the sites the Israeli army calls "an expanded humanitarian area".
The city is packed with tents and families have been struggling to find a place to set up new makeshift homes.
Here are some of the latest pictures we've been seeing of the area:
Israel says rockets fired at Kerem Shalom crossing
The Israeli army says rockets have been launched today from Rafah towards the Kerem Shalom crossing, near Egypt, which is one of the main crossings used to deliver aid into Gaza.
One was intercepted and three others fell in open areas, causing no casualties, according to the military.
The crossing was temporarily closed last week, after rockets killed four Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli army has blamed Hamas for the rockets.
The latest rocket fire came hours after Israel expanded an evacuation order for eastern Rafah, where the UN says 1.4 million people have been sheltering.
Hamas releases video of British-Israeli hostage
Hamas's armed wing has released another video of an Israeli hostage.
He is dual British-Israeli national Nadav Popplewell, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim on 7 October.
In the 11-second clip, the 51-year-old identifies himself by name, before the video cuts to a question mark superimposed with text in Arabic and Hebrew: "Time is running out. Your government is lying."
Nadav Popplewell has an obvious bruise under one of his eyes. It is not clear when the video was taken.
He was taken hostage with his mother Channa Peri. His brother Roy was killed in the 7 October attacks. Channa Peri was released in November.
Nadav’s sister Ayelet Svatitzky told the BBC in October that Nadav was diabetic. She said the medication issue was "really troubling and worrying".
Svatitzky and her brothers are all British. The family originally came from Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
'It's going to be the final corner of Gaza and that is terrifying'
"We've had a significant increase in bombardment and it's definitely advancing towards us,” says a UN official in western Rafah.
Louise Wateridge from UNRWA agency told the BBC this morning that the area, which was packed with makeshift shelters a week ago, has a lot of space now as families are getting ready to leave.
“The people here have the fear of knowing you are trapped. They know aid is not coming in - that sends panic,” she said.
The Rafah crossing, through which humanitarian aid had been coming into the enclave, has been closed for several days.
People are wondering where they are going to get food and water, Wateridge says.
“If this military operation continues, it's going to be the final corner of Gaza that's destroyed and that is very terrifying for the people here,” she adds.
What has happened so far?
As we have been reporting, Gazans in the southern city of Rafah have been leaving for the western parts of the enclave ahead of an expected Israeli offensive.
Here is what has been happening so far:
In pictures: Aftermath of strikes in Al-Maghazi refugee camp
Israeli strikes targeted the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip once again overnight.
The camp lies to the east of what Israeli army calls "an extended humanitarian zone" around Deir al-Balah.
Here are some images from the camp in the aftermath of the strikes:
Parts of Rafah now look like a ghost town
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
Parts of Rafah that were packed with locals and displaced people just days ago now look like ghost towns.
Flyers have been dropped and social media posts put out ordering people to leave more neighbourhoods. It signals that having encircled an eastern area where evacuation orders were previously given, Israeli tanks may now be ready to push towards the city centre.
At the same time, the humanitarian situation is worsening across southern Gaza, as no aid can enter through the two main crossings.
In the past day, Israeli has carried out dozens of air strikes against what it calls terrorists and terrorist infrastructure across the territory. It’s also instructed residents to leave parts of northern Gaza, indicating that its forces may return there months after they left.
Death toll nears 35,000 in Gaza
At least 34,971 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war on 7 October, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said in its latest estimate of the overall death toll.
At least 78,641 others have been wounded during Israel's military offensive, according to the ministry.
Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages.
'Face-to-face battles' in eastern Rafah, according to IDF
Israel Defense Forces has posted on X, formerly called Twitter, saying that over the past day "fighters of the combat team of the Givati Brigade eliminated a number of terrorists in face-to-face battles" in Rafah.
They continue by saying that the brigade have in addition "destroyed terrorist infrastructures established in the area".
The IDF post also says that fighters of the 401st Brigade combat team have "located a number of underground shafts and closed another circle of armed terrorists in the area" in co-operation with the air force.
UN votes in favour of granting Palestine enhanced status
John Sudworth
North America Correspondent reporting from New York
The United Nations General Assembly has voted on Friday in favour of a resolution granting Palestine enhanced status within the organisation.
In a heated debate ahead of the vote, the Israeli ambassador called the vote a “travesty”, producing a mini-shredder into which he fed a pocket sized UN charter.
The General Assembly vote - with 143 nations in favour - confers significant additional rights to Palestine, which currently holds what’s known as non-member observer status at the UN.
For the first time, it can fully take part in debates, propose agenda items and have its representatives elected to committees, although it still won’t have voting rights – something only the UN Security Council has the power to confer.
Read more on this story here.
Oxfam says human cost of the offensive on Rafah will be 'unconscionable'
The charity Oxfam has described the potential consequences of an escalating military offensive in Rafah as "unconscionable".
A spokesperson from the UK charity has said that the “consensus in the international community is clear".
The spokesperson goes on to say "there are no functioning hospitals and there is extremely limited aid available".
The charity has also criticised the UK government, saying that it “will be complicit in this carnage as long as it continues to sell arms to Israel”.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron confirmed earlier in the week that UK arms sales to Israel will not be suspended.
Lord Cameron has said "the latest assessment leaves our position on export licences unchanged" but adds "we continue to have to have grave concerns around the humanitarian access issue in Gaza".
UN calls for investigation into alleged mass graves near two Gazan hospitals
The United Nations Security Council has called for an independent investigation into "reports of the discovery of mass graves" near two hospitals in Gaza.
Hundreds of bodies, including women, children and older people, have allegedly been found in and around Gaza's Nasser and al-Shifa medical facilities, the UN Security Council has said in a statement.
It calls for independent investigations to start immediately and to "be allowed unimpeded access to all locations of mass graves".
The UN Security Council members also reaffirmed in the statement the importance of protecting "civilians and civilian objects" under international law.
In pictures: Palestinians leave Rafah ahead of planned Israeli offensive
Rafah has been a shelter for more than one million Gazans for months.
But now, tens of thousands of people are leaving the city in southern Gaza to find safer areas ahead of Israel's expected offensive.
Here are some of the latest pictures we've been seeing as people gather themselves for the journey ahead:
About 300,000 Gazans have moved towards al-Mawasi since Monday - Israeli army
As we've been reporting, the IDF has ordered the evacuation of Palestinians from more neighbourhoods in the southern city of Rafah, following similar orders for residents to evacuate to "humanitarian areas" earlier in the week.
The Israel Defense Forces has released a statement saying that "so far approximately 300,000 Gazans have moved towards the humanitarian area in al-Mawasi" since the order was given on Monday.
The calls for the "temporary evacuation" are being communicated to residents through "flyers, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic," the statement has also said.
The IDF also say they have called for people in and around Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, to "temporarily evacuate to shelters in western Gaza City" in order to "reduce harm" to residents "following attempts by Hamas to reassemble" in the area.
WFP and UNRWA will run out of food for south Gaza today - UN official
The closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings severed access for fuel, supplies and the movement of humanitarian staff, says Georgios Petropoulos, who is the head of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The shutdowns "also affected any movement of civilians who could go out on medical evacuation”, Petropoulos has said.
In a video filmed on Friday but posted today on X, formerly known as Twitter, Petropoulos said the “World Food Programme (WFP) and UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) will run out of food for distribution in the south by tomorrow,” which means they would run out of food as of today.
He says this means people will be left "only with the aid that has already been distributed in their shelters, in their homes and on site".
Petropoulos has also said there are only four bakeries left operating in limited capacity in south Gaza, and they will be out of stock by Monday.