Israel orders evacuation in Rafah as truce talks stall
THE Israeli army appears set to launch its longthreatened assault on Rafah as it instructs Palestinians to leave parts of the city in southern Gaza.
Israeli forces called on Monday for people in Rafah, into which huge numbers of displaced Palestinians were previo usly pushed, to evacuate to an expanded humanitarian area.
The move came as Israel and Hamas blamed one another for a breakdown in truce negotiations.
The Israeli military said in social media posts that it encourages residents in eastern Rafah to move to an area in al- Ma wasi refugee camp, located by the Mediterranean west of Khan Younis.
The army said calls to temporarily relocate would be conveyed through flyers, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic.
“Israeli forces will continue pursuing Hamas ever ywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that they are holding in captivity are back home,” it said.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Israeli army spokesperson, Avichay Adraee specified the appeal was to all people in the ashShoka area in the neighbourhoods of as- Salam, alJnaina, Tabet Ziraa and alBayyouk.
An Israeli military spokesperson told journalists that about 100,000 people were being evacuated. A Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters that Israel’s evacuation order and expected offensive is a dangerous escalation that will have consequences.
Despite urgent warnings of a humanitarian disaster from his country’s allies, including the United States, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted for weeks that an assault on Rafah must happen.
Israel says the city is a refuge for Hamas command and fighters who must be exterminated as part of Netanyahu’s pledge to deliver total victory over the Palestinian group. However , Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on the ground warn that there is no refuge for the huge numbers of people in
Rafah. Displaced people were previously pushed into the city by Israeli attacks on other areas of Gaza, and the city’s population is estimated to ha ve swollen to around 1.4 million. Where those people might find safety from a military offensive is unclear.
The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA) warned in a social media post that an Israeli offensive would inflict more suffering and death on a Palestinian population that the health authorities say has killed more than 34,000 since October.
The evacuation order followed a night of intense Israeli bombardment that killed 22 people, including eight children, in the city. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement that a military operation in Rafah is required due to Hamas’s refusals of mediated proposals for a Gaza truce under which it would free some captives.
A Hamas official said the group’s negotiating delegation was headed to Doha for “consultations” after the latest round of talks in Cairo failed to produce an agreement.
Hamas negotiators have maintained their stance that any agreement must include a permanent end to the war inside the enclave, Palestinian officials said.
Israel has refused a full ceasefire, offering instead a pause in fighting to allow a prisoner swap. Netanyahu is under increasing pressure to secure the release of about 130 captives remaining in Gaza. However, he is also being pushed by hardline coalition partners to continue the war.