Middle East

NBC News -The Israel Defense Forces this morning called on civilians in eastern Rafah to move toward what it termed an expanded humanitarian area, potentially signaling preparations for a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city, where more than 1.4 million civilians are sheltering. The number of people being told to move from eastern Rafah is estimated to be around 100,000, an IDF spokesman said. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani would not say in a media briefing how long civilians have to evacuate under this morning’s evacuation order. He said that the humanitarian zone would be “safer” for civilians but that the IDF reserved the right to strike against Hamas inside the zone. A possible ground offensive in Rafah has been widely condemned internationally, with United Nations officials warning that it would increase the civilian death toll and worsen the humanitarian crisis.Cease-fire talks appear to have stalled after hopes were raised for a last-ditch deal to avoid a Rafah offensive and secure the release of the hostages still held in Gaza. UPDATES