Mid East

 CNN - 1.5 million. That's roughly how many Palestinians are sheltering in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli officials said they would expand their military operations in the region if hostages held by Hamas are not returned by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, or as soon as March 10.

Washington Post - Dozens of patients remain at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Water and electricity were cut off, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

 Whatsnews - The Biden administration is preparing to send bombs and other weapons, estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars, to Israel, according to current and former U.S. officials. The proposed arms delivery includes roughly a thousand each of MK-82 bombs, KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions that add precision guidance to bombs, and FMU-139 bomb fuses, the officials said. The planned weapons transfer comes as Israel prepares to launch an assault on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where more than one million Palestinians are sheltering from the war.