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The Israeli army has ordered more than 100,000 people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to flee, signalling that a much-publicised ground invasion is imminent.
It appears last-ditch efforts by international mediators, including the director of the CIA, to broker a cease-fire have failed.
Hamas and Qatar, a key mediator, have warned that an invasion of Rafah could derail the talks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated last week that the military would move on the town “with or without a deal” to achieve its goal of destroying the Hamas militant group.
Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war.
Posters put up in the area read: “The IDF is about to operate with force against the terror organisations in the area you currently reside, as the IDF has operated so far.
“Anyone in the area puts themselves and their family members in danger. For your safety, evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi.”
Israeli military tells 100,000 Palestinians in east Rafah to evacuate
People have been asked to move to what Israel described as the “humanitarian zone” at Al-Mawasi as the army prepared for a “limited scope operation”, without confirming when the Rafah invasion would begin.
“In accordance with the approval of the political echelon, the IDF is calling on the population, which is under the control of Hamas, to temporarily evacuate from the eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah to the expanded humanitarian space,” a statement from the IDF said on Monday.
It said that it was contacting Palestinians through “announcements, text messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic”.
Sam Rkaina6 May 2024 08:48
UN relief agencies refuse to evacuate
The United Nations relief teams in Gaza say they will not evacuate Rafah in a defiant social media post.
They said in a post on X: “The UNRWA is not evacuating: the Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people.”
Israel’s army said Monday on the social platform X it would act with “extreme force” against militants and urged the population to evacuate immediately for their safety.
Israel published a map of the evacuation area, and that orders were being issued through leaflets dropped from the sky, text messages and radio broadcasts.
They claimed they had set up expanded humanitarian aid in Muwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.
Barney Davis6 May 2024 08:58
Flyers dropped by IDF on parts of eastern Rafah urging thousands to evacuate
A statement from the IDF said: “In accordance with the approval of the political echelon, the IDF is calling on the population, which is under the control of Hamas, to temporarily evacuate from the eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah to the expanded humanitarian space.”
It said that it was contacting Palestinians through “announcements, text messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic”.
An English translation of red flyer dropped on the region, reads: “To all of the residents and those currently sheltering in the Rafah Camp, the Brazil Camp and the neighborhoods Al-Shabura and Al-Zohour (blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 19, 20, 24, 2363, 2364). Remaining in these areas puts your lives in danger.
“The IDF is about to operate with force against the terror organizations in the area you currently reside, as the IDF has operated so far.
“Anyone in the area puts themselves and their family members in danger.
“For your safety, evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi.”
Barney Davis6 May 2024 08:51
Good morning and welcome to the live coverage of the Israel Gaza conflict
Barney Davis6 May 2024 08:32
