Israeli Military Issues Evacuation Order in Southern Gaza
The Israeli military has issued a sweeping evacuation order for the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, indicating a possible resurgence of intensive military operations in the area. This order coincided with the Eid al-Fitr holiday, bringing renewed hardships to the residents of Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza, which has already endured severe destruction due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The hostilities resumed two weeks ago after a prolonged cease-fire came to an abrupt end.
In previous instances, the Israeli military has mandated evacuations prior to launching both aerial bombardments and ground maneuvers aimed at targeting Hamas militants. Avichay Adraee, the spokesperson for the Israeli military who communicates in Arabic, shared a map on his social media accounts outlining the areas affected by the evacuation order, which includes Rafah and parts of the adjacent Khan Younis. He emphasized that Palestinians should move to designated shelters located in the coastal region to the north.
Adraee stated, “Israel’s military is returning to combat with considerable force to dismantle the capabilities of terrorist organizations in these areas.” Earlier this month, he had also announced a similar evacuation order for certain neighborhoods in Rafah, and the maps he circulated on Monday reiterated those warnings.
It remains uncertain how many people are still residing in Rafah at the time of Adraee’s announcement and how many will comply with the evacuation directive. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Rafah was home to hundreds of thousands of residents, but extensive areas of the city have now been reduced to rubble.
Over the past two weeks, Adraee has issued evacuation orders for various other regions within Gaza; however, many inhabitants of those areas appear to have disregarded the instructions. Since the onset of the conflict, sparked by the Hamas-led assault on Israel in October 2023, countless Palestinians in Gaza have faced repeated displacements, leading to a dire situation where many are forced to reside in overcrowded makeshift shelters alongside strangers.
The Israeli military resumed its operations against Hamas in Gaza on March 18 after negotiations to extend a cease-fire, which had been in effect since January, failed to reach a resolution. While discussions between Israel and Hamas continue through mediators in an effort to restore the cease-fire, no significant breakthrough has been achieved thus far.
