Israel is preparing to launch what is expected to be a major ground operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where about 1.5 million Palestinians have fled. The Israeli military began ordering tens of thousands of Palestinians living in the city to evacuate.
On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces ordered an evacuation to Rafah, suggesting a long-promised ground operation could be imminent. The Israeli military has labeled Rafah the last major Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and leaders have repeatedly said it is necessary to clear Rafah to defeat the Islamic militants.
Overnight, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that Hamas terrorists had carried out a deadly rocket attack from Rafah earlier in the day that killed four Israeli soldiers. He said Israel was left with no choice but to act in Rafah.
The possibility of a ground operation emerged after last-ditch efforts by international mediators, including the CIA, to broker a ceasefire failed to reach an agreement.
President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to discuss Rafah by phone today, Fox News has learned.
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An Israeli soldier drives a tank at a military post near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafril Abayov)
Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed to carry out a military operation in Rafah. The Israeli military said its troops were launching a “limited-range operation.”
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said about 100,000 people had been ordered to move to a nearby Israeli-declared humanitarian zone called Mwasi. He said Israel had published a map of evacuation zones.
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These orders were issued through airdropped leaflets, text messages, and radio broadcasts to keep Palestinians informed.
“If you are found in the vicinity of an (extremist) organization, you are putting yourself and your family at risk. For your safety, the (military) will immediately move into the expanded humanitarian zone,” one leaflet said. We advise you to evacuate.”
An Israeli soldier drives a tank at a military post near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafril Abayov)
He said Israel was increasing humanitarian assistance to Mwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.
The Israeli military said on social media X that it would act with “extreme force” against Hamas terrorists and called on people to evacuate immediately for their own safety.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed to carry out military operations in Rafah, insisting that Hamas maintains its last remaining stronghold in the city. (Reuters/Ronen Zvulun/Pool/File Photo)
The move comes as the Biden administration reportedly withheld shipments of U.S.-made ammunition to Israel for the first time since the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack.
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Two Israeli officials told Axios that arms shipments were stopped last week and Israeli officials are scrambling to understand why.
Israeli soldiers walk past a column of tanks at a military post near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafril Abayov)
About 1.5 million Palestinians, more than half of Gaza’s population, have taken refuge in Rafah after being forced to flee to other parts of the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
