Senior Israeli officials have repeatedly affirmed their country’s intention to invade Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, despite ongoing negotiations mediated by Egypt with Hamas for a ceasefire and an agreement on a prisoner exchange. In preparation, the Israeli military is gearing up to establish a “new area” in central Gaza to shelter Palestinians scheduled to be evacuated from Rafah, as reported by the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
The Israeli newspaper noted that this new area would be located on the outskirts of Nuseirat and Al Bureij near an Israeli military corridor. Additionally, an existing shelter area near Al-Mawasi in the east towards Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip will be expanded.
These developments come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that the evacuation of civilians from Rafah had begun, in preparation for a ground assault on the city. However, Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), stated at the same time yesterday that the residents of Rafah had not yet been asked to evacuate the city.
The evacuation process is expected to take about two to three weeks, according to previous Israeli estimates. Numerous international organizations, led by Western countries including the closely allied United States, have expressed concern for the safety of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians packed into Rafah. The United Nations has repeatedly confirmed that there is no safe place in the entire Gaza Strip to shelter the displaced.
It is noted that more than two million Palestinians have fled to Rafah due to the ongoing war that has persisted for seven months, living in dire humanitarian conditions.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly, with acute shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued new provisional measures urging Israel to ensure the provision of essential services and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, especially in light of the worsening famine and malnutrition conditions.
