Children stand outside a camp for displaced persons in the area north of Rafah and Khan Younis, a border city in southern Gaza on the border with Egypt, on February 15, 2024, amid ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. outside the tent.
Mohamed Abed | AFP | Getty Images
The Israeli military said on Monday it had begun evacuating Palestinians from parts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, anticipating military action, where about half the population of the enclave is taking refuge.
“For your safety, the IDF calls on you to immediately evacuate to the expanded humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi,” said Avichay Adraee, head of the IDF’s Arab media unit. wrote in X’s postaccording to Google Translate from Arabic.
The post read: “The Israel Defense Forces will use extreme force against terrorist groups in the area where you live, as it has done so far. Anyone who has close ties to a terrorist group will put their own lives and the lives of their families at risk.” ”
Al Mawasi, a small swath of coastal scrub just over half a mile wide and 8.6 miles long, already hosts hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. More than 1.2 million people are currently seeking refuge in RafahMost of them have fled other areas of Gaza and live mainly in tents without adequate access to water, food and basic medicines.
The White House, along with the United Nations, World Health Organization and other multinational organizations, urged Israel not to launch an offensive against Rafah, warning that it would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences. Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu said operating there was crucial to Israel winning the war against Hamas.
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