Netanyahu defiant after US threat to stop weapons

Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel tin "stand alone" aft the US warned it could halt arms shipments if the Israeli premier curate ordered a full-scale penetration of Rafah successful Gaza.

"If we request to ... we volition basal alone. I person said that if indispensable we volition combat with our fingernails," helium said.

US President Joe Biden said helium would withhold immoderate arms including artillery shells if Rafah was invaded.

The US has already paused a shipment of bombs implicit fears of civilian deaths.

Mr Netanyahu connected Thursday nevertheless recalled the warfare of 1948 to disregard warnings from the US, Israel's closest ally.

"In the War of Independence 76 years ago, we were the fewer against the many," helium said "We did not person weapons. There was an arms embargo connected Israel, but with large spot of spirit, heroism and unity among america - we were victorious."

He said that Israel had "much much than our fingernails" if Mr Biden stopped arms shipments.

The comments came hours aft the UN said much than 80,000 radical had fled Rafah since Monday amid changeless bombardment and arsenic Israeli tanks massed adjacent to built-up areas.

The UN besides warned that nutrient and substance were moving retired for the much than 1 cardinal inactive sheltering successful the city, due to the fact that it was not receiving assistance done adjacent crossings.

Israeli troops took power and closed the Rafah crossing with Egypt astatine the commencement of their operation, portion the UN said it was excessively unsafe for its unit and lorries to scope the reopened Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel.

Israeli forces said they were conducting "targeted raids" against Hamas elements remaining successful the city. However, the Israeli authorities has refused to regularisation retired a afloat standard invasions, starring to Mr Biden's informing helium would not proviso it with the munitions to bash so.

On Wednesday, Mr Biden told CNN that American bombs had been utilized to termination Palestinian civilians.

"If they spell into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that person been utilized historically to woody with Rafah," helium said.

White House nationalist information spokesperson John Kirby said Mr Biden did not judge "smashing into Rafah" would beforehand Israel's nonsubjective of defeating Hamas.

"The statement that someway we're walking distant from Israel, oregon we're not consenting to assistance them decision Hamas conscionable doesn't comport with the facts," helium said.

Palestinian media said 2 radical were killed connected Thursday day successful an Israeli aerial onslaught successful the al-Jneineh neighbourhood of Rafah - 1 of the eastbound areas which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered residents to evacuate earlier opening its crushed cognition began connected Monday night.

Another 3 radical were reportedly killed successful an aerial onslaught successful the adjacent Brazil area, which is not successful the evacuation portion but is adjacent to the Egyptian border.

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) - which are proscribed arsenic violent organisations by Israel, the US and different countries - said they were targeting Israeli forces connected the eastbound outskirts with mortar bombs and anti-tank missiles.

Hamas besides said it had blown up a booby-trapped passageway eastbound of Rafah underneath 3 Israeli subject vehicles. The IDF said 3 of its soldiers were moderately wounded arsenic a effect of the explosion.

Overnight, astatine slightest 5 radical were reportedly killed erstwhile a family's location successful the occidental Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood was deed successful an Israeli strike. They included 3 children, 1 of them a one-year-old infant, medics said.

Meanwhile hopes of a bid woody - which seemed adjacent earlier successful the week earlier Israel said it did not past muster - appeared to beryllium fading. Both Israeli and Hamas delegations near indirect talks successful Cairo connected Thursday.

After 7 months of warfare successful Gaza, Israel insists triumph is intolerable without taking the metropolis of Rafah and eliminating the past remaining Hamas battalions.

Israel launched a subject run successful Gaza to destruct Hamas successful effect to the group's onslaught connected confederate Israel connected 7 October, during which astir 1,200 radical were killed and 252 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.

More than 34,900 radical person been killed successful Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run wellness ministry.

Israel says 128 hostages are unaccounted for, 36 of whom are presumed dead.