Prior to the Israeli military operation - Over 150,000 inhabitants were relocated from Rafah.
In response to the recent atrocities in Israel, the IDF is looking to entirely eradicate Hamas, whose leaders are suspected of hiding in underground tunnels beneath the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. There's a strong possibility that Israeli hostages are still being held captive by the terrorists as shields.
Early in the week, prior to the anticipated operation against Rafah, Israel dropped leaflets across the city, informing residents about the secure areas in the Gaza Strip where they could seek shelter. The IDF has expanded the "humanitarian zone" or protected region to accommodate those fleeing from East Rafah.
Text messages were also sent out specifying the areas to be evacuated and the routes to follow towards the safe zones.
Many of the people who have now sought refuge in the western areas of Rafah were previously internally displaced, having sought shelter from other regions of the Gaza Strip.
Since the start of this week, around 150,000 people have relocated from Eastern Rafah to Khanyounis and Deir Al-Balah, an achievement within a five-day period.
Aid groups report "disordered conditions"
The aid organization Save the Children reported instances of "disordered conditions" on Friday. Streets were crammed with cars, individuals were clinging to any moving vehicle, and children were packed onto donkey carts, carrying the last of their family's possessions with them. "If you don't have a car or a truck, you walk with everything you can carry," said Rachael Cummings, Head of Operations for Save the Children in the Gaza Strip.
According to Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel (74), the current operation in East Rafah is set on rescuing the over 100 remaining hostages and vanquishing the last Hamas factions in the city.
The Israeli army declared that its troops were still stationed in the eastern parts of Rafah. They had discovered several tunnels in the area and eliminated numerous terrorist cells during the clashes at the Rafah crossing to Egypt. The IDF seized control of the border crossing from Hamas terrorists in a carefully planned operation on Tuesday.
Israel's Western allies, specifically the United States, have encouraged the Israeli government to avoid a large-scale military operation in Rafah due to the anticipated catastrophic humanitarian outcomes. This week, President Joe Biden (81) ordered a temporary halt to the transfer of 3,500 bombs to Israel.
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Source: symclub.org
