Escalating Israel-Hamas Conflict: US Urges Ceasefire as Death Toll Mounts

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for a "humanitarian pause" in the Israel-Gaza conflict, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's apparent rejection of the U.S. request. Palestinian officials reported dozens of deaths and injuries in a strike on the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza, although the exact number is unconfirmed. Additionally, civilian passage out of Gaza through the Rafah border crossing has been halted, potentially linked to Palestinian demands for injured Gazans to receive medical care in Egypt.