Israel orders civilians in Rafah to evacuate

The Israeli military ordered civilians in parts of Rafah on Monday to evacuate to a new humanitarian area ahead of an expected ground operation.

The military wrote in social media posts that it was encouraging residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesperson, said about 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a humanitarian zone called Muwasi, The Associated Press reported. He also said Israel was preparing a “limited scope operation” but did not say whether this was part of a larger invasion of the city.

The Israeli military wrote on the social platform X that it is urging civilians to move to the new area through flyers, text messages, phone calls and media broadcasts. The military also included a graphic with the evacuation zone labeled.

“The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that they’re holding in captivity are back home,” the military wrote on X.

Israel has been warning of an invasion into the southern city of Rafah for months as it vows to eliminate Hamas after the militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

The expected Israeli invasion of Rafah — where more than 1 million Palestinians are estimated to be sheltering — comes despite warnings against it from the U.S. and international aid organizations.

President Biden and other administration officials have repeatedly warned Israel against moving forward with the invasion without a clear plan to protect civilians.

The AP reported over the weekend that Israel briefed U.S. officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians in Rafah, citing unidentified officials.

The evacuation orders also come as international mediators attempt to strike a cease-fire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel, but Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week there would be a Rafah invasion “with or without” a deal.

An estimated 80 percent of Gaza’s population has been driven from their homes during the Israel-Hamas war, with local health officials saying the death toll has topped 34,500 people.

The Associated Press contributed.