At the gates of Gaza, on the Egyptian side of the border, the UN chief, Antonio Guterres, calls for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" as the war between Israel and the Palestinian militants Hamas continues in the Gaza Strip.
"Palestinians in Gaza, children, women, men remain stuck in a non-stop nightmare", he added.
Despite warnings that an operation in Rafah would cause mass civilian casualties and worsen the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza after nearly six months of war between Israel and Hamas militants, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would press ahead with the attack.