Israeli Forces Advise Evacuations Near Rafah, in Sign of Potential Imminent Assault

Last updated on August 7th, 2024 at 04:29 pm

The Israeli military has begun advising civilians to leave Rafah, indicating a ground combat operation may soon come to the southern Gazan city.

“The IDF will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in the areas of your residence,” begins a warning the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began circulating to residents in Rafah’s Al-Salam, Al-Janina, Taba Zara’a, and Al-Yarmouk neighborhoods on Monday, May 6.

The warning message states anyone who remains close to the operations area is putting their lives at risk.

“For your safety, the IDF calls on you to evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi,” the Arabic warning statement adds.

Al-Mawasi is a town northwest of Rafah, where Gazan residents have established a tent encampment to wait out the ongoing war. In addition to telling Rafah residents to relocate to Al-Mawasi, the warning calls on civilians to refrain from going further north toward Gaza City or approaching the Gaza barrier to the south and east.

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

The warnings come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, for weeks, called for the Israeli military to prepare to enter Rafah.

Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet have regarded Rafah as one of the last strongholds for Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli president has called for the group’s total elimination and defeat after Hamas militants entered southern Israel and carried out widespread attacks.

President Joe Biden’s administration had repeatedly urged against a full-scale assault, citing concerns of high civilian casualties from such an operation.

Earlier in the war, Israel forces attacking from the northern end of the Gaza Strip had advised civilians to flee south to safety. With the Israeli operation continuing to move south, around a million Gazans have gathered in Rafah.

While Israeli aircraft have conducted airstrikes in and around Rafah, Israeli forces have yet to begin ground operations there. The Biden administration has repeatedly called on Netanyahu to ensure a plan’s in place to protect civilians before entering Rafah.

Last month, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz suggested the Israeli side might hold off on a Rafah operation if negotiators reach an agreement for Hamas to release some hostages taken on Oct. 7. Netanyahu later reiterated that he believes Hamas forces remain in Rafah and that a ground operation would eventually be needed to defeat them.

“The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,” Netanyahu said in an April 30 press statement. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate Hamas’ battalions there—with or without a deal—to achieve the total victory.”

Speaking at an April 29, World Economic Forum event in Saudi Arabia last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for Hamas to accept the latest Israeli hostage terms, but reiterated the Biden administration’s opposition to a Rafah ground assault.

“We’ve said clearly and for some time now on Rafah that in the absence of a plan to ensure that civilians will not be harmed, we can’t support a military—a major military operation in Rafah,” Blinken said. “And we have not yet seen a plan that gives us confidence that civilians can be effectively protected.”

Blinken visited Israel on May 1 he discussed the humanitarian situation in Rafah with Netanyahu. It’s unclear if they reached any new policy understanding during the meeting.