Israel orders evacuation of Rafah due to possible attack on Palestinians’ last refuge
According to the army, residents of the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah, south of Gaza, close to the so-called Philadelphia corridor to the border with Egypt, have received messages urging them to evacuate and move to the so-called “humanitarian zone” of Al Mawasi. Is. Israel reported this on Monday. “In accordance with the approval of the (Israeli) government, an ongoing assessment will guide the gradual movement of civilians from designated areas of Al Mawasi towards the humanitarian zone,” the army said in a statement published on social networks.
According to this source, the evacuation order is “temporary” and has been disseminated through posters, SMS messages, phone calls, and broadcasts in Arabic media. At present, the army has not linked this withdrawal to the declared ground offensive on Rafah.
The statement also said the Al Mawasi area near Khan Younis has been expanded, and is receiving more humanitarian assistance such as “field hospitals, tents, large quantities of food, water, medicines and additional supplies.” Despite being declared a safe zone by the military, the Al Mawasi area has not been free from violence, conditions remain dire and humanitarian aid is unable to reach.
“(The Israeli army) is going to take vigorous action against terrorist organizations in the area where you currently live, as they have done so far. Anyone who lives in the area puts themselves and their families at risk. For your safety, immediately evacuate the extended humanitarian zone in Al Mawasi,” a leaflet issued said.
The army said in an online press conference with media this morning that the evacuation is a response to another effort to “eliminate Hamas, repatriate the hostages” and remove the civilian population from danger, but did not specify whether residents How much time does the government have to comply with this forced evacuation?
The statement also said the Al Mawasi area near Khan Younis has been expanded and is receiving more humanitarian assistance such as “field hospitals, tents, large quantities of food, water, medicines and additional supplies.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahureiterated yesterday that Israel will not end the war in Gaza even if a temporary ceasefire agreement is reached with Hamas, and stressed the “necessity” to destroy the Islamist group’s battalions that have been active in Rafah for months. ,
The evacuation order comes less than 24 hours after yesterday, when three soldiers were killed and eleven others were wounded when a dozen rockets were fired by Hamas near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza. Since closed and inactive. ,
Rafah hosts about one and a half million people
Like residents of many other towns, most of the people displaced from Khan Yunis are in Rafah, which had fewer than 300,000 inhabitants before the war and is now home to nearly a half million people.
The Netanyahu government has been maintaining for weeks that it will launch an offensive against Gaza City despite international pressure, which is contrary to what it would be because it would pose a major threat to hundreds of thousands of displaced people who are in very precarious conditions. . Little access to basic amenities like food, drinking water or health care.
Israeli army spokesman Nadav Shoshani, quoted by the Associated Press, said Israel was preparing a “limited scope operation”, without clarifying whether it was the beginning of a large-scale offensive on the city. In any case, Israel did not formally announce the ground offensive on Gaza last October that continues today.
Attacks on humanitarian aid convoys
Philippe Lazzarini, director of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), last night condemned that Israel had twice denied him entry to Gaza in the past week, as well as an increase in attacks against humanitarian convoys and their staff. Is.
“In the last two weeks alone, we have recorded 10 incidents including firing on convoys, arrests of UN personnel, harassment, stripping, threats with weapons and long delays at checkpoints, preventing convoys from moving through or through darkness.” “We were forced to abort our mission.” , Lazzarini said on his X account.
“These incidents happen again and again at a time when we are immersed in a race against time to avoid famine in Gaza,” condemned Lazzarini, who warned that it would also create “fear” among humanitarian teams. It happens.