Jerusalem, Feb 25 (IANS): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he will seek Cabinet approval next week for a ground operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population seeks shelter from Israel's bombings elsewhere.

Writing on X, Netanyahu on Saturday said that he will convene his Cabinet at the beginning of the upcoming week to approve "the operational plans for action in Rafah, including the evacuation of the civilian population".

"Only a combination of military pressure and firm negotiations will lead to the release of our hostages, the elimination of Hamas, and the achievement of all the war's objectives," he wrote.

Rafah, the Gaza Strip's southernmost city, has become a sprawling refugee camp, densely populated by about 1.4 million people who have fled from the Israeli attacks in regions further north in the Palestinian enclave, Xinhua news agency reported.

The United Nations has warned that an extension of Israel's military operation in Rafah will have "dire humanitarian consequences".