A senior Hamas official said the evacuation order was a “dangerous escalation” that would have consequences. “The US administration, alongside the occupation, bears responsibility for this terrorism,” the official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters, referring to Israel’s alliance with Washington.
Aid agencies have warned that the evacuation order will lead to an even worse humanitarian disaster in the crowded coastal enclave of 2.3 million people reeling from seven months of war.
“Forcing over a million displaced Palestinians from Rafah to evacuate without a safe destination is not only unlawful but would lead to catastrophic consequences,” British charity ActionAid said.
Israel’s military said it had urged residents of Rafah to evacuate in a “limited scope” operation. It gave no specific reasons nor did it say if offensive action might follow.
US President Joe Biden will hold urgent talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday over the increasing likelihood of a full-blown assault on Rafah.
Biden had told Netanyahu in April that invading Rafah would be a “mistake” and Washington has said it does not support an offensive without a credible plan to aid some 1.2 million civilians sheltering there.
“We have made our views clear on a major ground invasion of Rafah to the Israeli government, and the president will speak with the prime minister today,” a spokesman for the White House National Security Council told AFP.
“We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering.”
Nick Maynard, a British surgeon trying to leave Gaza on Monday, said in a voice message from the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing into Egypt: “Two huge bombs have just gone off immediately outside the crossing. There’s a lot of gunfire as well about 100 meters from us. We are very unclear whether we will get out.”
“Driving through Rafah, the tension was palpable with people evacuating as rapidly as they could.”
