Israel's military is poised to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and assault Hamas hold-outs in the southern Gaza Strip city, a senior Israeli defence official said on Wednesday, despite international warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel has begun preparations to evacuate civilians from Rafah ahead of a long-expected assault on the city in southern Gaza where the bulk of Hamas’s remaining forces and more than 1mn displaced people are concentrated.
Palestinians on Thursday mourned over people killed in Israeli bombardment of Rafah, the southern Gaza city where Israel says it is advancing plans for a ground invasion.
Israel has mobilised two more brigades for missions in Gaza ahead of a long-threatened offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have fled
Wednesday’s announcement came as Israel prepared for a ground invasion of Rafah, the southern Gaza city that Israel says is Hamas’ last major stronghold.
Israel's impending military operation in Rafah, the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza, is to begin with an evacuation of civilians that could last up to five weeks, Israel's Kan radio reported on Thursday.
Israel said Wednesday it is "moving ahead" with its planned operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite international outcry over fears for the 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering there. Red Cross official Fabrizio Carboni said humanitarian groups had no knowledge of reported plans to move Rafah's residents away from the city ahead of the assault.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have mobilized two additional reserve brigades ahead of a possible deployment to the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF said on Wednesday. The brigades had previously been deployed on Israel's border with Lebanon.