Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu indicates war in Gaza may escalate, orders evacuation plan for Rafah

A day after President Biden called Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip "over the top," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that the war was likely to escalate. The Israeli leader said Friday that he'd ordered his forces to prepare a plan to evacuate the population of Rafah ahead of an expected Israeli invasion of the southern Gaza city.

Netanyahu made the announcement following international criticism, including from Mr. Biden and his top aides, of Israel's plan to invade the crowded city on Egypt's border.

Israel says Rafah is the last remaining Hamas stronghold and it needs to send in troops to complete its war plan against the Islamic militant group, which he said still had "four battalions" there. But an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians have crammed into the city and the surrounding area after fleeing fighting elsewhere in Gaza, as they were urged to seek refuge there by the Israel Defense Forces.