Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to Israel in the middle of next week, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Sunday, a trip in which she said she plans to urge for a ceasefire as Israel prepares to advance on Rafah.

Axar.az reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government is preparing an evacuation plan for the more than one million Palestinians penned into Rafah, on the southern border with Egypt. Many have been displaced at least once and have nowhere to flee in the crowded enclave.

"The distress in Rafah is already beyond belief. 1.3 million people seek protection from the fighting in the most limited space. An offensive by the Israeli army on Rafah would be a humanitarian catastrophe," Baerbock wrote in a post on X on Saturday.

"Israel must defend itself against Hamas terror but at the same time alleviate the suffering of civilians as much as possible. That is why another pause in fighting is needed - also for hostages can finally be released. I will discuss ways towards that in Israel again next week," she added in a second post.