Senior US administration official says decision was made over concerns about a full-scale assault on Rafah; William Burns will hold talks with the Israeli PM
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The Guardian’s First Edition newsletter this Wednesday discusses what Israel’s Rafah offensive means for the prospect of peace.
For today’s newsletter Rupert Neate speaks to Peter Beaumont, a senior Guardian international reporter who has worked extensively in the region for decades, about the significance of the Rafah crossing and what the latest Israeli offensive means for the prospect of peace in a conflict that was ignited by the deaths of more than 1,100 Israelis and after seven months has resulted in at least 34,000 deaths among Palestinians.