A senior White House official says the United States is talking to Israel about its possible ground offensive into Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, aiming to secure the safety of Palestinian residents. More than 1.4 million people are taking shelter there.

National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said on Thursday that "a major operation in Rafah would be a disaster" without a credible plan to make sure the residents have a place where they can be safe and secure.

He said the US is "continuing to talk to our Israeli counterparts about what that plan might look like."

On Thursday, Australia, Canada and New Zealand issued a joint statement which said, "There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go" and urged Israel not to carry out a ground offensive in Rafah.

The French presidential office said President Emmanuel Macron told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Wednesday that any forced displacement of a population could potentially be a violation of international humanitarian law.