US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin urged his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant to explore alternatives to conducting a full-scale ground operation in Rafah during a call between the pair, according to a Department of Defense press release, Al Jazeera reports.

“Secretary Austin raised the need to consider alternatives to a major ground operation in Rafah, while reiterating the shared goal of defeating Hamas,” the readout said.

The two also discussed the “need to do more to protect civilians and urgently increase the flow of aid into Gaza through land crossings”, according to the statement.