The Israeli Defense Forces have begun telling Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah as the Jewish state prepares for a ground offensive on the southern city of Gaza.
On Monday, the IDF ordered civilians to evacuate from eastern Rafah to nearby Mwasi. There is a field hospital and tents in Mwasi, and food, water, medicine and other supplies are increasing as aid flows into the humanitarian zone.
The evacuation announcement came seven months after the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began with the terrorist group’s surprise attack on October 7, 2023.
Israel maintains that there are thousands of Hamas fighters in Rafah and that it cannot eradicate the terrorist group without moving into the city.
The IDF said calls to suspend travel to humanitarian areas will be communicated through posters, text messages, telephone calls and broadcasts in Arabic.
In a social media post, the Israeli military noted that more than 100 Israelis were still being held in the Palestinian enclave, adding: “The Israel Defense Forces will continue to pursue all Hamas prisoners throughout the Gaza Strip until they return home.” said. .
Despite international pressure from the United States and other countries not to invade Rafah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains adamant that the IDF will launch an attack.
Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city that borders Egypt, is a safe haven for more than 1 million Palestinian refugees, with most of the fighting concentrated in the northern Gaza Strip.
The evacuation order came a day after ceasefire talks ended in Cairo with Israeli officials claiming Hamas was not serious about the deal.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also responded to the attack by Hamas on a key Israeli transit point for delivering humanitarian aid, killing three soldiers, saying, “In the very near future, we will not be able to attack Rafah or other locations across Gaza.” “A strong operation will be carried out,” he warned.
The White House has warned Israel that it could face serious consequences if it enters Rafah without a serious plan to protect civilians.
“Absent such a plan, we cannot support a major military operation against Rafah. The damage it would inflict would be beyond acceptable,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Friday at the Sedona Forum in Arizona. “This is because we are
with post wire
