Israeli Army Instructs More People to Leave Gaza As the Battle in Rafah Intensifies

Israel orders more evacuations from Rafah as fighting with Hamas intensifies, designating a coastal strip for displaced Palestinians despite warnings of a looming humanitarian crisis.

The Israeli army has ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians to leave the areas of Rafah in southern Gaza as they are stepping up the military operations in the city. Posters dropped from the air and social media posts told the eastern Rafah residents to go to al-Mawasi, a narrow coastal strip that Israel calls an "expanded humanitarian zone. 

The evacuation notices were issued amid the intensification of the Israeli-Hamas fighting that left the parts of Rafah, once densely populated with locals and people who were displaced, looking like a ghost town. Israel has stated that it will go ahead with the planned operations in the city despite the warnings from the U.  S.  and allies that a ground offensive could lead to mass civilian casualties and a dire humanitarian crisis. 

On Saturday, U.  S.  President Joe Biden confirmed that a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within 24 hours if Hamas released hostages it has held since an attack on southern Israel on October 7th. But while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to defeat Hamas in Rafah, he said "We will stand alone" and "fight with our fingernails" if necessary even if the U.S. threatened to withhold heavy weapons for use in populated areas. 

Humanitarian agencies have been warning about the deteriorating situation in Rafah as Israel's military operations leave Palestinians with fewer and fewer safe areas. The area Israel has set aside for evacuees has very few facilities and services. Oxfam characterized Rafah as having no functioning hospitals, and the UN's Palestinian refugee agency said that al-Mawasi does not have basic infrastructure such as water networks and sewage systems. 

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The fighting is a sign of the Israeli military campaign launched in Gaza on October 7th which is aimed at destroying Hamas after the group's deadly attack. Gaza's health ministry stated that over 34,900 Palestinians have been killed since the campaign began two months ago.