Israeli troops 'torch' Rafah crossing's arrival and departure halls  

Israeli forces have torched and destroyed facilities at the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, including halls used for travellers' arrival and departure, according to local officials and media reports. 

Pictures shared online showed what appeared to be the exterior of the departure hall damaged and blackened. Middle East Eye could not independently verify the authority of the photo. 

However, the report was confirmed by some media outlets and the Gaza-based government media office, which called for the urgent opening of crossings to alleviate the worsening starvation crisis. 

It also said "talk of a tactical pause was an Israeli lie," referring to an announcement on Sunday by the Israeli military that it would hold temporary pauses in fighting along a key road in Rafah to facilitate aid delivery. 

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the move as "unacceptable" and the military later backtracked on the announcement, saying operations in Rafah would not stop.