US threatens to veto Security Council vote on Gaza

Israel’s army pressed with its campaign in southern Gaza to destroy Hamas as prospects dimmed for a ceasefire in the more than four-month-old war.

A total of 127 people died in 24 hours, Gaza’s health ministry said, as the main battlefront edged closer to far-southern Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians live in crowded shelters and tent camps.

Israel’s top ally, the US, signaled it would veto the latest push for a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, as Washington instead favors a temporary truce and hostage release deal.

And mediator Qatar acknowledged that separate ceasefire talks had also hit an impasse after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected some Hamas demands as “ludicrous.”