Israeli Prime Minister Orders Plan To Evacuate 1.3 Million People In Rafah
KEY FACTS
In a statement Friday, Netanyahu said the “intense activity in Rafah requires that civilians evacuate the areas of combat,” and that it was not possible to successfully eliminate Hamas while leaving “four Hamas battalions in Rafah.”
Netanyahu directed Israel Defense Forces to create a plan for "both the evacuation of the population and the disbanding of the battalions."
Rafah has been described by Israel as the last remaining place with a powerful Hamas presence and Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said taking the crowded city is the next step in defeating the militant group, which attacked Israel in October, killing 1,200 people.
Netanyahu's plan for an evacuation comes after criticism from U.S. officials who said Israel has not conducted proper safety planning for civilians ahead of an expected attack in Rafah and warned a ground incursion without evacuation would risk "disaster."
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“Any major military operation in Rafah at this time, under these circumstances, with more than a million—probably more like a million and a half—Palestinians who are seeking refuge and have been seeking refuge in Rafah without due consideration for their safety would be a disaster, and we would not support it,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Thursday.
KEY BACKGROUND
More than half of the 2.3 million residents of Gaza have sought shelter in Rafah since fighting began in October, as Israel responded to Hamas’ attacks on the country. Evacuation orders cover roughly two-thirds of the territory. Civilians were ordered to leave the northern half of Gaza early in the war, but attacks have continued in non-evacuated areas like Rafah. Two residential buildings and a former school-turned-shelter were hit by Israeli airstrikes in Rafah Friday, the Associated Press reported, which is the only major city in Gaza not currently occupied by Israeli forces, according to CNN. At least 12 people were killed in the airstrikes before Netanyahu's evacuation orders were issued Friday, according to the AP.
BIG NUMBER
107. That's how many people have died in Gaza in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. How many of those were in Rafah, and how many were civilians, is unclear.
CHIEF CRITIC
U.S. officials have become increasingly scathing in their criticism of Israel’s military campaign. At a White House press conference Thursday, President Joe Biden said he believes "the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top." Biden said he is pushing for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and the release of hostages, which has also been backed by mediators in Egypt and Qatar. In addition to government officials, humanitarian groups have warned against escalating the violence that already exists in Rafah. The Norwegian Refugee Council warned "an expansion of hostilities could turn Rafah into a zone of bloodshed and destruction,” adding that conditions in the city have already deteriorated to the point of “disease and starvation” for many who’ve sought shelter. CARE International says a military operation in Rafah would have “devastating consequences for civilians in Gaza who have endured more than four months of trauma, extreme hunger, lack of water, disease and extremely limited medical resources.”
Comments
Post a Comment