UK, Australia call for 'immediate cessation of fighting' in Gaza

Britain and Australia declared the need for an "immediate cessation of fighting" in Gaza on Friday, as diplomatic pressure built on Israel to ditch a planned ground assault on the southern city of Rafah.

After a meeting of Australian and UK foreign and defence ministers in Adelaide, the allies issued a statement that stressed the "urgency of an immediate cessation of fighting in Gaza to allow aid to flow and hostages to be released".

They also said they shared concern over the "potentially devastating consequences" of an attack on Rafah "given the large number of displaced persons taking refuge in the area and lack of safe spaces in Gaza".

Reporting by Reuters and AFP