UN chief to visit Gaza border as Israel vows Rafah attack

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to visit Egypt’s border with Gaza today, after Israel vowed to send its troops to fight Hamas in the nearby city of Rafah, even without United States support. During his visit, Mr Guterres plans to reiterate his call for a humanitarian ceasefire, though renewed international pressure has so far failed to dissuade Israel from the planned ground offensive in Rafah, where most of Gaza’s population has taken shelter. Despite warnings that such an operation would cause mass civilian casualties and worsen the humanitarian crisis gripping the territory, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he…