Israel to push on with Rafah operation while continuing hostage talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that his war cabinet approved continuing an operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in order to increase pressure on Hamas to release Israeli hostages and achieve the country's other war goals.

At the same time, even though Hamas' latest truce proposal falls short of Israel's demands, Israel would send a delegation to meet with negotiators to try to reach an acceptable agreement, Netanyahu's office said in a statement.