First Thing: World leaders at Munich conference to urge Israel to abandon Rafah offensive

One aid organisation has said a ground offensive in Rafah would be a ‘bloodbath’. Plus, an FBI informant is charged with lying in Hunter Biden case

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Good morning.

Western leaders are hoping that a round of meetings at a security conference in Munich will put overwhelming pressure on Israel not to press ahead with a ground offensive in Rafah, which aid organisations have said would have catastrophic consequences. One NGO said it would cause a “bloodbath”.

What terms does Hamas want for a ceasefire? Hamas is no longer holding out for a permanent ceasefire but wants a six-week humanitarian pause leading to a ceasefire.

What is Benjamin Netanyahu saying about the ceasefire talks? Negotiations appear to be stalling. The Israeli prime minister said on Friday: “Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.”

What has been the human cost of Israel’s war on Gaza so far? The offensive has killed more than 28,500 people, displaced more than 85% of Gaza’s population and reduced more than half of the territory’s infrastructure to rubble. The World Food Programme says one in four people in Gaza are facing extreme hunger.