ISRAELI troops and tanks launched a brief ground raid into northern Gaza today, the military said, striking several targets to “prepare the battlefield” before a widely expected ground invasion.

The attack took place hours after the United Nations security council failed to reach an agreement over resolutions on the conflict, which has raged since a surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.

British ministers attended a Cobra meeting today following the raid and the government called for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict.