What's happened
Efforts to pause the four-month-old war in Gaza have hit an impasse as Israel continues its relentless campaign against Hamas.
Why it matters
The ongoing conflict in Gaza and the stalled ceasefire talks have significant humanitarian and geopolitical implications, with potential for further escalation and loss of life.
What the papers say
Gulf News reports on the stalled ceasefire talks and Israel's rejection of calls to spare Rafah, while The Independent provides details on Israeli strikes across Gaza and the impact on civilian populations.
How we got here
The conflict in Gaza has been ongoing for four months, with efforts to negotiate a ceasefire facing challenges amid continued violence and humanitarian concerns.
More on these topics
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.
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Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
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Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate, located 30 kilometers south of Gaza City. Rafah's population of 152,950 is overwhelmingly made up of former Palestinian refugees.