Gaza war: Israel orders residents in more areas of Rafah to evacuate despite US pressure

Israel issued a call on Saturday urging Palestinians in additional areas of Gaza's southern city of Rafah to evacuate, directing them to what it termed an expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi.

This move signals the military's intent to proceed with plans for a ground attack on Rafah. A military spokesperson, in a post on the social media platform X, also urged residents and displaced individuals in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, along with 11 other neighborhoods in the enclave, to immediately seek refuge in shelters west of Gaza City.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli airstrikes targeted several areas in central Gaza overnight, resulting in the deaths of 24 Palestinians.

Despite significant pressure from the US and concerns voiced by residents and humanitarian organizations, Israel has affirmed its intention to move forward with an incursion into Rafah.

This area has become a refuge for over 1 million displaced people amid the ongoing seven-month-long war. The Israeli military has reported that approximately 300,000 Gazans have already relocated towards Al-Mawasi.

Israel claims that if thousands of Hamas terrorists are not eliminated from Rafah, it will be impossible to win the war.

On Friday, Israeli tanks seized control of the primary road that separates Rafah's eastern and western sections, effectively encircling the eastern side in an assault. This action has prompted Washington to delay the delivery of certain military aid to Israel.

The White House stated on Friday that it was monitoring the Israeli operations "with concern," but clarified that they seemed to be focused around the closed Rafah crossing and did not indicate a widespread invasion of the city.

Around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were held hostage during an attack on southern Israel spearheaded by Hamas on October 7 last year, according to Israeli estimates. This attack set off the long-standing war between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist outfit.

Israel's military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of nearly 35,000 Palestinians, as reported by Gaza's health ministry. The relentless bombardment has devastated the coastal enclave, exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis.

In its most forceful critique of Israel yet, the Biden administration stated on Friday that the use of U.S.-supplied weapons by Israel during the Gaza operation may have breached international humanitarian law.

However, the administration refrained from making a definitive assessment, citing the chaotic nature of the conflict. It stated that it was unable to verify specific instances where the use of those weapons may have contributed to alleged violations.