On Monday, the Israeli Defense Force said that the Israeli army had told Palestinians to begin evacuating eastern Rafah, signaling a possible ground invasion.
Evacuations were concentrated in peripheral districts of Rafah. From there, evacuees would be directed to tent cities in nearby Khan Younis and Al Muwassi.
The Israeli military ordered Palestinians living in eastern Rafah to relocate to a neighboring "humanitarian area," seemingly signaling the start of a civilian evacuation preceding a ground assault.
The IDF has expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza. This expanded humanitarian area includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 6, 2024
In accordance with the… pic.twitter.com/si47k9FCCz
The military said that media announcements, text messages, phone calls, and posters will all be used to encourage the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas.
People were told to relocate to Muwasi, an Israeli-declared humanitarian area near the coast. The army said that additional aid, including food, water, tents, field hospitals, and supplies, had been sent to the region.
The announcement comes amid the precarious ceasefire negotiation and ahead of a ground attack that Israel has been vowing to launch for months to drive out Hamas militants.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Sunday that Hamas was not serious about a hostage deal.
A Hamas strike on Sunday killed three Israeli troops and targeted Israel's major crossing point for aid deliveries.
Israel claims that the city of Rafah is home to thousands of militants for the Palestinian Islamist group and that capturing the city is necessary for victory.
However, with over a million Palestinians seeking refuge in Rafah, Western nations and neighboring Egypt are concerned about the possibility of a high-casualty operation.
