Israel will invade Rafah 'with or without a deal'

Netanyahu: Halting Hamas war early is not an option

- Mark Reynolds

BENJAMIN Netanyahu is vowing to overrun Rafah whether there is a ceasefire deal with Hamas or not.

Israel's Prime Minister remained defiant in the face of calls from Britain, the US and other world powers to abandon a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city.

He said: "The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all its objectives is out of the question." Rafah is the last enclave in the war-torn Gaza Strip, with 1.4 million Palestinian refugees.

Humanitarian groups have warned any invasion of the city could result in a "massacre" but Israel's warships pounded it overnight. The civilian death toll included three women sheltering in an apartment.