Topline
The Israeli military on Monday told Palestinian civilians to relocate from parts of Rafah, signaling an imminent ground assault into Gaza’s southernmost city, where more than a million people are taking refuge.
Palestinians inspect the scale of destruction among the debris of destroyed buildings following the ... [+]
Key Facts
In a post on X, the Israeli Defense Forces said it has “expanded the humanitarian area” in Al-Mawasi—located to the north of Rafah—and will “guide the gradual movement of civilians” from parts of eastern Rafah to this area.
The IDF said it will use fliers, text messages, phone calls and Arabic broadcasts to urge civilians to move to the expanded humanitarian area that includes tents, field hospitals, and increased aid supplies.
IDF spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told reporters the evacuation order covers around 100,000 people and is being carried out to prepare for a “limited scope operation” into the southern Gazan city.
The spokesperson did not specify a timeline for completing the evacuation or the start of military operations in Rafah.
Big Number
More than 1.2 million. The number of Palestinians taking refuge in Rafah—more than half of Gaza’s entire population—according to the World Health Organization. Most of the people sheltering in Rafah have been forced to flee their homes in other parts of the enclave amid the war.
Key Background
Despite facing strong international pushback, Israeli officials have repeatedly said they intend to move forward with a ground offensive into Rafah—which they claim is Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza. As ceasefire talks between both sides stagnated over the weekend, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said they were planning to conduct a “powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah.” Both international bodies and Israel’s allies have expressed concern that a full-scale offensive into Rafah could cause significant civilian casualties and worsen the humanitarian crisis in the enclave. On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel had not presented a plan to protect civilians in the city and “absent such a plan, we can't support a major military operation going into Rafah because the damage it would do is beyond what's acceptable.” According to the Associated Press, Israeli authorities briefed Biden administration officials about their plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah over the weekend ahead of an offensive. U.S. officials, however, were reportedly not convinced and warned an assault into Rafah would put the lives of many Palestinian civilians at risk.
Further Reading
Israel has briefed US on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of potential Rafah operation (Associated Press)
Cease-Fire Talks Between Israel and Hamas Again at an Impasse (New York Times)
