JERUSALEM/TEHRAN/CAIRO - The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, a Xinhua correspondent covering the developments reported mass Israeli troops stationed on the border with Rafah.

The unnamed Israeli official confirmed that the Israeli delegation has left Cairo after talks with Hamas, the United States, Egyptian, and Qatari negotiators on a deal to end the hostilities and secure the release of hostages in Gaza.

The official did not elaborate on whether Israel will expand the offensive to more areas in Rafah at the southern end of Gaza, where about 1.2 million internally displaced Palestinians were taking refuge.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for more efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible

According to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, the talks were halted due to Israel's ongoing ground assault on Rafah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime cabinet was scheduled to meet later on Thursday to discuss the continuation of the Rafah operation.

Commenting on US President Joe Biden's decision to pause some shipments of weapons to Israel if it deepens its assault on Rafah city, the Israel Defense Forces said it has enough weapons to continue operations in Gaza.

"The IDF has armaments for the operations it is planning, also for the operation in Rafah," IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement. "We have what we need," he stressed.

"The US has so far provided security assistance to Israel and the IDF in an unprecedented manner," Hagari added, noting that "even when there are disagreements between us -- we resolve them in closed rooms." 

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Also on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for more efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.

In a phone call, Amir-Abdollahian praised the UN chief's efforts to end the Israeli offensive on Gaza and called for more pressure exerted on Israel against an imminent escalation, according to a statement published on his ministry's website.

He claimed that Israel, through control or closure of border crossings into Gaza, sought to cause another "humanitarian disaster" in the region and render international ceasefire efforts ineffective.

The minister warned supporters of the war about "the severe consequences" if they continue to wink at Israel committing "new crimes" in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, instead of pressuring its leadership to accept the recent truce proposal.

Amir-Abdollahian voiced his support for Hamas's response to the truce proposal and briefed the UN chief on his talks with the Qatari, Saudi, and Egyptian sides as well as Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for all concerted international efforts to ensure the success of the ongoing mediation endeavors to reach a ceasefire deal

The top Iranian diplomat said his country would continue efforts to end "Israel's crimes" in Gaza and restore peace and security in the region.

Guterres, for his part, thanked Iran for taking a wise stance and actions to ensure peace and security in the region, saying ever since the eruption of the conflict, the UN had been insisting on its decisive position of achieving a ceasefire and ending the war in Gaza as soon as possible.

He said the UN would continue pressuring Israel and consulting with the United States and other influential countries to end the war immediately and open the Rafah crossing and other key entry points into Gaza as soon as possible.

Guterres noted that he was in constant contact with Egypt, Qatar and Jordan, calling on all parties to focus on stopping the bloodshed.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Guterres on Thursday called for all concerted international efforts to ensure the success of the ongoing mediation endeavors to reach a ceasefire deal.

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In a phone conversation, they reviewed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip at all levels, including the Egyptian mediation efforts to reach a truce agreement, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

"International efforts are needed to ensure the success of the ongoing mediation endeavors, to achieve a breakthrough and prevent an expansion of the conflict," it said.

During the talks, al-Sisi and Guterres warned against the catastrophic repercussions of the latest Israeli military operations in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, which pose a serious impediment to the evacuation of the wounded and sick for treatment, and the delivery of humanitarian aid and relief into the sector.

On Monday, Hamas accepted the Egyptian-Qatari proposal of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, while Israel said the proposal falls short of its demands.

Israel meanwhile intensified military operations in Rafah and took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a crucial passage for humanitarian aid entering the enclave and wounded civilians leaving the strip.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023, after Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people.

Persisting for seven months, the Israeli attacks have so far killed 34,844 Palestinians and injured 78,404 others, according to the Gaza health authorities on Wednesday.