Israeli attacks have killed 27 people in Rafah, the Hamas-led health authority claims

Gaza: At least 27 Palestinians have been killed in new Israeli attacks on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry said on Monday.

Authorities said 20 people in residential buildings in the border city were killed in separate attacks that night.

Seven members of a family in Rafah were also reportedly killed in shelling on Monday morning.

The information could not be independently verified.

An Israeli army spokesman said he could not comment without the exact coordinates of the incidents.

Israel has said it will launch an offensive in Rafah to eliminate the remaining strongholds of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israel’s allies have repeatedly urged caution as hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians shelter in the city.

The planned military operation could yet be avoided, with a Hamas delegation arriving in Egypt on Monday to negotiate the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.