RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has struck southern Gaza, killing at least 28 people, and raided one of the last functioning hospitals in the north. Israel is pressing ahead with its offensive against Hamas with renewed backing from the United States, despite rising international alarm over the war’s toll. The offensive, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, displaced some 1.9 million and demolished much of northern Gaza. Attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have prompted the U.S. and its allies to launch a new mission to counter the threat. But after meeting with Israeli officials on Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signaled that U.S. support for Israel’s offensive remains unwavering.