Israel orders Rafah evacuation ahead of military operation

Israel has started moving people out of Rafah, suggesting an upcoming attack on the Gaza city. The Israeli military said on Monday that it was evacuating around 1,00,000 residents.

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces said on X Monday morning that they "will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence." He urged residents of eastern Rafah to relocate northward to an “expanded humanitarian area” near Khan Younis, another city in Gaza.

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Kan News, Israel’s main broadcaster, said the IDF was preparing a ground operation in Rafah.

The army airdropped leaflets advising about the evacuation, reported AFP.

Why is Israel planning to use ‘extreme force’ on Rafah?

Israel plan attck on Rafah after ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel in Cairo seems stalled. Moreover, three Israeli soldiers were killed with a rocket barrage on Sunday at the border crossing of Kerem Shalom.

Hamas's armed wing claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which led Israeli authorities to close the crossing used to deliver aid into Gaza.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said over the past few months that civilians residing in Rafah would be relocated prior to any potential attack. The city is currently home to approximately 1.4 million people, the majority of whom sought refuge there following the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.

The timeline for the evacuation of most civilians remains uncertain. Israeli officials have privately acknowledged that the process could extend over several weeks, while the United States has expressed concerns about the feasibility of ensuring the safety of the evacuation.

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Israeli raid in Lebanon: State media

Lebanese state media reported early Monday that three people were injured in an Israeli strike in the eastern part of the country. The Israeli military said that it targeted a "military compound" belonging to Hezbollah.

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"Enemy warplanes launched a strike at around 1:30 am this morning on a factory in Sifri, wounding three civilians and destroying the building," Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said.

Sifri is situated in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, close to the city of Baalbek, approximately 80 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border.

(Inputs from Reuters)

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