Israel ordered 1 lakh Palestinians to leave Rafah ahead of its operation

The military of Israel has ordered 1 lakh Palestinians to leave parts of eastern Rafah ahead of its expected operation. A massive number of Palestinians have been residing in Rafah to take safe refuge from ongoing Israeli strikes.

After several months of war in Gaza City, Israel claims it must take control of Rafah to defeat Hamas, a Palestinian militant organization. However, the United States and the United Kingdom warned Israel that the Rafah attack would have severe consequences as millions of displaced Palestinians have taken refuge in it.

A Hamas command and control center located in central Gaza at an active @UNRWA location was precisely struck by IAF fighter jets. The location served as a staging ground for multiple attacks on IDF troops and humanitarian aid distribution efforts as well as a weapons supply… pic.twitter.com/vaUq4CsrsI
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2024

The Israeli order came after Hamas launched rocket fire on the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which killed three Israeli forces. Israel has control over the Kerem Shalom border crossing area, which is also the key entry point for aid into Gaza.

After that, Israel responded by launching fierce airstrikes in Rafah overnight, which reportedly killed 19 Palestinians. However, Israel has not been satisfied with their retaliatory strikes. So, It plans to extend its military operation to take over Rafah.

Hence, the military of Israel ordered 1 lakh Palestinians residing in Rafah to move towards Khan Younis and al-Mawasi. They announced they have set up a humanitarian aid center for affected Palestinians in Khan Younis. The aid center in Khan Younis includes hospitals, tents, water, medicines, and food availability for the people of Palestine.

The IDF has expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza. This expanded humanitarian area includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies.

In accordance with the… pic.twitter.com/si47k9FCCz
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 6, 2024

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However, Israel claims Rafah has four remaining Hamas units made up of thousands of fighters. So, they have to evacuate Palestinians out of Rafah to make it clear from Hamas.

IDF spokesperson Col Nadav Shoshani emphasized that their planned operation in Rafah has limited scope. He said they have not given any timeline for Palestinians to leave Rafah but they will have to evacuate the area gradually.

On the other hand, western and Arab powers have several times warned Israel against the widespread operation in Rafah. It could potentially result in a large death toll of Palestinians.

According to recent media reports, at least 34,700 Palestinians have died as a result of the fierce Israeli invasion. The majority of dead Palestinians include women and children.