The Israeli army claimed Monday that it was evacuating some 100,000 people from eastern Rafah in preparation for a ground attack on Gaza’s southern cities.
“The estimate is around 100,000 people,” a military spokesman told journalists when asked how many people were being evacuated.
According to the World Health Organization, over 1.2 million people are currently sheltering in Rafah, with the majority having fled from other parts of Gaza following Israel’s seven-month conflict with Hamas Palestinian terrorists.
The evacuation is part of our effort to undermine Hamas. “We had a violent reminder of their presence and operational capabilities in Rafah yesterday,” the military spokesman added.
“This is an evacuation plan to get people out of harm’s way.”
A barrage of rockets was fired into the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza on Sunday, killing three Israeli troops and injuring a dozen others, according to the army.
According to the army, the missiles were fired from near Rafah.
The soldiers were hit while protecting heavy machinery, tanks, and bulldozers stationed in the region.
An AFP correspondent reported that rain fell on Monday as the army airdropped leaflets telling people to evacuate.
Hamas’ armed branch claimed responsibility for the missile attack, which prompted Israeli authorities to close the border gate used to transfer aid into Gaza.