Gaza: Israeli military asks to evacuate eastern Rafah ahead of foreseeable military offensive

The Israeli military began to evacuate tens of thousands of inhabitants from eastern Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, this Monday morning. According to military sources, "the estimate is around 100,000 people" evacuated from the city bordering Egypt.

The Israel Defense Forces announced the establishment of a humanitarian cordon to guarantee the safety of citizens while they launch this operation, which they described as " limited in scope." The goal remains to weaken Hamas’ infrastructure.

The Israeli military asked the inhabitants of eastern Rafah to leave the city for other areas of the Palestinian territory. City residents received messages on their phones inviting them to leave and a map telling them where to go.

The IDF said on Monday it “encourages” the residents to move to an “expanded humanitarian area.” The IDF stated that it had expanded the humanitarian zone to Al Mawasi, a town located on the coast about 6 miles from Rafah. In Al Mawasi, "field hospitals, tents and a growing volume of food, water, medicine and other items" were set up, the statement said.

On Sunday, when a barrage of rockets was fired towards the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza. The IDF said the rockets were fired from an area adjacent to Rafah. The soldiers were hit while guarding heavy machinery, tanks and bulldozers stationed in the area. Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which led Israeli authorities to close the crossing, which is used to deliver aid into Gaza.