The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahuordered to attack the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
This is an area that welcomed thousands of displaced people at the start of the offensive in October last year.
And it is the gateway for humanitarian aid via Egypt.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces and security officials to submit a joint plan to evacuate the population and destroy Hamas battalions,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
Nearly 1.3 million Gazans are refugees or live in this city.
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“It is impossible to achieve the war goal without eliminating Hamas and leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah,” Netanyahu said.
This requires civilians to evacuate combat areas,” he added.
According to the Hamas government’s health ministry, at least 107 Palestinians have been killed by shelling in the narrow 362-square-kilometer area in the past 24 hours.
Israeli forces initially focused their operations on Gaza City in the north of the Strip and then advanced toward Khan Yunis further south.
In light of the announcement of the invasion of Rafa, condemnation from the international community increased.
The director of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, again called for a humanitarian ceasefire.
In addition, the official warned that any Israeli military offensive in Rafah would worsen the “endless tragedy” among the population.
Accusation from Washington
US President Joe Biden condemned the intensity of Israel’s response against Gaza after the October 7 terrorist attack.
In my opinion, the reaction in Gaza, in the Gaza Strip, was excessive,” Biden said in an unusual criticism of his ally.
“There are a lot of innocent people starving, a lot of innocent people having a hard time and dying, and it has to stop,” the Democrat said.
For his part, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “concerned” about the operation.
“It would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare,” he explained.
The war broke out on October 7 when Islamist militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped about 250 in an attack in southern Israel.
More than 300 soldiers are among the dead.
Israeli bombings and reprisals in the Gaza Strip killed 27,940 people, mostly women, children and young people.
If Israel carries out a ground attack on Rafah, we will die in our homes,” said Jaber Al Bardini.
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