Israeli army evacuates Rafah for "limited-scale operation"
Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Israeli military announced that it has started calling the residents of Rafah, in southern Gaza, to evacuate the city as part of the "limited scope" operation to "dismantle" Hamas.
Reuters quoted Israeli officials as saying that they informed Egypt of the start of the evacuation process in the early morning.
The Israeli army stated that Israeli Security Minister Yoav Galant informed his American counterpart Lloyd Austin of the need to take action in Rafah due to Hamas's rejection of proposals for releasing detainees in Gaza.
Israel identifies Rafah as a key Hamas stronghold and prepares an invasion for the group's defeat after a seven-month conflict.
An Israeli source also reported to Reuters that yesterday's operation (Karem Abu Salem) and Hamas's delayed response to the Israeli proposal left no choice but to begin the movement, adding that the operation is limited to eastern Rafah so far.
Witnesses in Rafah, located on the border of Gaza with Egypt, told Reuters that some Palestinian families are leaving the eastern areas of the city on Monday after receiving orders from the Israeli army to evacuate.
The Israeli army called on Palestinians in the eastern areas of Rafah to move to an "expanded humanitarian area" nearby, indicating the beginning of civilian evacuation before a ground attack on the city located in southern Gaza.
A military statement mentioned that leaflets, text messages, phone calls, and media announcements will " encourage... gradual movement of civilians in the designated areas."
The army said it expanded its aid to the area, including building field hospitals and tents and sending food and water.
In this context, UNRWA stated, "We will not leave Rafah and will maintain our presence for as long as possible, continuing to provide life-saving assistance to the people."
It added that "an Israeli attack on Rafah means more civilian suffering deaths and the consequences will be devastating for 1.4 million people."
So far, more than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army in the Strip, 29 of them in the past 24 hours, and more than 77,6500 have been injured.
