Rafah is one of the largest cities in the Gaza Strip, located on its far southern end on the border with Egypt.
The city is the site of the Rafah border crossing, the only entry and exit point out of Gaza and into Egypt, compared to the other border crossings that go into Israel.
Rafah is partially divided, with part of the city being located on the Egyptian side of the border. A network of smuggling tunnels run beneath the city and crossing in an attempt to circumvent the blockade around Gaza.
Biden urged Sisi and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, whom he spoke to separately, to exert all efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Police also arrested five demonstrators, with one of them being a relative to a hostage still in Gaza, and one MK was allegedly assaulted by police at the protest.
Reports from Gaza state that 30 Palestinians were killed on Monday in IDF strikes on the city in midst of tensions regarding upcoming operation on the city.
The approval comes as Hamas negotiators in Cairo consider an Israeli proposal to postpone or forgo a Rafah invasion in exchange for a release of Israeli hostages.
Saudi Arabia may not publicly want Israel in Rafah, but Riyadh has been watching the war closely since October 7.
Families of hostages plan protests demanding their release, citing recent reports of possible military actions jeopardizing captives.
Other Israeli officials criticized Itamar Ben-Gvir for his proposal to execute those who surrendered.
IDF strikes in Khan Yunis, Rafah and Nuseirat • Two Palestinians shot dead after trying to break through West Bank checkpoint
Palestinian media reported that there were wounded and those killed in the strikes.
The question regarding the current campus crisis is whether the Biden administration, while fighting to calm tensions in the Middle East, should also be addressing what is happening at home.
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