Israeli military orders evacuation of central Rafah, prepares to expand operations
The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians to evacuate more areas in the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, in a further indication that Israeli Army is preparing to expand its military operations in the city despite widespread international opposition.
The new evacuation orders issued on Saturday cover areas in the center of Rafah, forcing tens of thousands more people to move to “an expanded humanitarian area” in al-Mawasi, situated in the western part of Gaza, where aid workers have described its conditions as “horrific”.
The Israeli military said in a statement that about 300,000 people have left eastern Rafah since it ordered an evacuation of the southern Gaza city earlier this week.
In a post on X, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee called the areas to be evacuated a “dangerous combat zone,” urging residents and displaced people to go immediately to shelters west of Gaza City.
The latest evacuation orders suggest a major expansion of Israeli military operations in the center of Rafah, threatening destruction and displacement of many more, and a likely advance through the entire city.
On Tuesday, the Israeli regime entered Rafah’s eastern sector and seized control of Gaza’s side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which is the main corridor for the transfer of aid into the besieged strip, despite widespread international opposition.
The incursion came after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators Qatar and Egypt.
