Israel begins Rafah evacuation ahead of military operation

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday commenced the evacuation of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, ahead of an expected military operation in the area.

“We have begun a limited scope operation to temporarily evacuate inhabitants of eastern Rafah,’’ an IDF spokesman said.

The IDF called on the inhabitants of the eastern part of the city on the border with Egypt to move to the al-Mawasi camp on the Mediterranean a few kilometres to the north.

An estimated 100,000 people are affected, according to an IDF spokesman.

They were informed by text message, telephone, and leaflets and via Arabic-language media.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist terrorist organisation Hamas in Cairo on a new ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners had previously failed to produce any immediate results.

He said people were to go to an “expanded humanitarian area” in the al-Mawasi area adding that Food, water and medicine were available there.

The spokesperson who said the army had also set up field hospitals there could not however say how much time people had to evacuate.

He emphasized that the supply of humanitarian aid to the population would continue unhindered during the evacuation operation to the coastal strip via various routes, including the port in Ashdod.

Israel wants to use the military operation in Rafah to smash Hamas’ remaining battalions, which it had been fighting in the coastal strip since October 2023.

Hostages are also believed to be held in the town on the border with Egypt and Israel had been threatening to launch a ground offensive into Rafah for months.

Israel’s allies had been urgently warning against a Rafah offensive because hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians had moved there.

Overnight Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin, Gallant’s office said.

Gallant briefed Austin on the Sunday Hamas attack, in which approximately 10 projectiles were fired from the area adjacent to the Rafah crossing toward the area of the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing.

Three Israeli soldiers were killed in that attack.

Kerem Shalom is the most important border crossing for the delivery of aid from Israel to the Gaza Strip.

The army temporarily closed the Gaza Strip to humanitarian shipments after the rocket attack.

The military then reportedly bombed the site in the Gaza Strip near the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where the attack had originated.

Gallant’s office said the minister discussed the hostage release efforts saying Hamas refused the frameworks at hand and that military action was required since there was a “lack of an alternative.”

“The state of Israel cannot tolerate a situation in which Hamas continues to attack its citizens while showing a “lack of seriousness” on releasing the hostages.

“Israel is committed to achieving its war goals, the destruction of Hamas and the return of the remaining 132 hostages still in Gaza,’’ the Spokesperson said.

Gallant expressed his appreciation to Austin for the U.S. and its “partnership and leadership” and highlighted the U.S.’ important role in the hostage issue.

Israel said it would evacuate the city before conducting combat operations in Rafah. This is expected to take several weeks.

Hamas had prepared its fighters in Rafah for deployment against Israel and supplied them with provisions and weapons, according to reports from Israel.

The number of militants guarding the hostages had also increased, according to media reports. (dpa/NAN)