The Israeli army orders most of Rafah to evacuate

Deir al -Balah, Gaza Strip (AP) – The Israeli army published radical evacuation orders on Monday covering most of Rafah, indicating that it could soon launch another major operation on the ground in the most southern city of The Gaza Strip.

Israel ended his ceasefire With the Hamas militant group and renewed its air and land war at the beginning of the month. Early March Cut all the supplies Food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to around 2 million Palestinians in the territory to put pressure on Hamas to accept the modifications of the truce agreement.

The evacuation orders seemed to cover almost all the neighboring cities and areas. The soldiers ordered the Palestinians to go to Muwasi, a spread of sordid tent camps along the coast. Orders came during Eid al-Fitr, a normally festive Muslim party Marking the end of Ramadan fasting month.

Israel launched a major operation in Rafah, on the border with Egypt last May, leaving large ruined parts. The army seized A strategic corridor Along the border as well as Rafah’s crossing with Egypt, the only Gaza bridge to the outside world which was not controlled by Israel.

Israel was supposed to withdraw from the corridor under the cease-fire which he signed with Hamas in January under American pressure, but he then refused, citing the need to prevent the smuggling of weapons.

Israel has promised to intensify its military operations until Hamas publishes the remaining 59 hostages it holds – of which 24 are considered alive. Israel also demanded that Hamas disarm and leave the territory, conditions that were not included in the cease-fire agreement and that Hamas rejected.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would take care of security in Gaza after the war and implement The proposal of American president Donald Trump To reinstall the population of Gaza in other countries, describing it as a “voluntary emigration”.

This plan was universally rejected by the Palestinians, who consider him as forced expulsion of their homelandAnd human rights experts say it would probably violate international law.

Hamas, on the other hand, insisted on the implementation of the signed agreement, which asked for the publication of the rest of the hostages in exchange for a sustainable ceasefire and an Israeli judgment. Negotiations on these parties of the agreement were supposed to have started in February, but only preliminary talks took place.

The war began when activists led by Hamas stormed Israel on October 7, 2023, unleashing through army and agricultural communities and killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians. Activists have taken 251 other hostage people, most of whom have since been released in ceases or other offers.

Israel’s reprisal offensive killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not say how much civilians or combatants were. At its peak, the war had moved some 90% of the population of Gaza, many fleeing several times.

Large Gaza areas have been completely destroyed, and it is not clear how or when everything is rebuilt.

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