Truce talks open in Cairo as Gazans brace for Israeli assault on Rafah

Officials from the U.S., Egypt, Israel, and Qatar meet in Cairo to negotiate a truce in Gaza amid growing international calls for Israel to halt its planned assault on Rafah.

Officials from the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar were meeting in Cairo on Tuesday to try to agree a truce in Gaza as international calls grew for Israel to hold back on its planned assault on the Palestinian enclave's southern city of Rafah.

More than one million displaced civilians are crammed into Rafah, many living in camps and makeshift shelters, having fled to there from Israeli bombardments in other areas of Gaza during more than four months of warfare.

Israel says it wants to flush out Hamas militants from hideouts in Rafah and free Israeli hostages being held there, and is making plans to evacuate trapped Palestinian civilians. But no plan has been forthcoming and aid agencies say the displaced have nowhere else to go in the shattered territory.

Israeli tanks shelled the eastern sector of Rafah overnight, causing waves of panic, residents said.

Rafah neighbours Egypt but Cairo has made clear it will not allow a refugee exodus over the border.

Gaza health officials announced 133 new Palestinian deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 28,473 killed and 68,146 wounded since Oct. 7.

Many other people are believed to be buried under rubble of destroyed buildings across the densely populated enclave, much of which is in ruins. Supplies of food, water and other essentials are running out and diseases are spreading.