Topline
The Israeli military on Monday told Palestinian civilians to relocate from parts of Rafah, signaling an imminent ground assault into Gazaās southernmost city, where more than a million people are taking refuge.
Key Facts
In a post on X, the Israeli Defense Forces said it has āexpanded the humanitarian areaā in Al-Mawasiālocated to the north of Rafahāand will āguide the gradual movement of civiliansā 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.
An IDF spokesperson said the evacuation order covers around 100,000 people and is being carried out to prepare for a ālimited scope operationā 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 Rafahāmore than half of Gazaās entire populationāaccording 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 ongoing war.
Key Background
Despite facing strong international pushback, Israeli officials have repeatedly said they intend to move forward with a ground offensive into Rafahāwhich they claim is Hamasā 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 āpowerful operation in the very near future in Rafah.ā Both international bodies and Israelās 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 āabsent 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.ā 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)