Israeli strikes in Rafah overnight have killed 22 people, including 18 children.

This comes in the wake of news that the United States was on track to approve billions of dollars of additional military aid to Israel.

The Associated Press says Israel has carried out near–daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.

It has also vowed to expand its ground offensive against Hamas to the city, despite calls for restraint from many, including the U.S.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement “In the coming days, we will increase the political and military pressure on Hamas because this is the only way to bring back our hostages and achieve victory. We will land more and painful blows on Hamas — soon.”

He gave no further details.