As the Israeli army confirmed the start of evacuations in the eastern areas of Rafah, located in southern Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border, Egypt heightened its alert status. Two security sources confirmed on Monday that Egypt has increased its alert level in North Sinai as the Israeli operation in Rafah begins, according to Reuters.
Simultaneously, Hamas announced its readiness for any potential invasion of the densely populated city of displaced Palestinians. In a statement, Hamas declared that “any military operation in Rafah will not be a walk in the park for the occupation army,” according to their statement.
The Israeli Army radio reported that Israeli officials had informed Egypt on Sunday evening about the commencement of the evacuation of residents from Rafah. It also quoted an Israeli source saying, “Hamas’s targeting of the Kerem Shalom crossing yesterday left no choice but to start moving.”
International Warnings
These developments come amid rising international and UN voices against the invasion of the Palestinian city. Both France and Germany called for de-escalation and warned of catastrophic consequences for civilians if Israel proceeded with its plan.
The EU’s Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, urged Israel not to proceed with a ground invasion of Rafah, emphasizing the necessity for the European Union and the international community to prevent such a scenario.
Additionally, the Palestinian Presidency condemned the Israeli plans, and the official spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, warned that Israel had already begun paving the way “to commit the largest genocide by invading Rafah,” placing responsibility on the US administration for these dangerous policies.
Rafah, home to approximately 1.5 million displaced Palestinians who fled from the ongoing war since seven months ago, according to United Nations statistics, holds a sensitive location being close to the border strip separating southern Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Rafah is also the largest city on the Egyptian border with an area of 55 square kilometers and is about 107 km southwest of Jerusalem.
Egypt has consistently warned since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, of Israel’s plan to displace Palestinians or a significant portion of those in Gaza towards Sinai.
