The Israeli army is reportedly gearing up for a military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, as revealed by local media on Tuesday.
According to the public broadcaster KAN, citing unnamed Israeli military sources, the army is making preparations for a ground operation in Rafah that would involve “evacuating a significant number of residents.”
Itay Blumental, the broadcaster’s military correspondent, detailed that the army’s plan includes asking more than 1 million Palestinians in Rafah to evacuate to recently established shelters in the southern and central parts of the Gaza Strip.
Blumental also mentioned that the plan, presented to the US and other unnamed countries in Israel’s region, outlines that the offensive into Rafah “will proceed in stages” and involve dividing the city into zones.
Residents in each area will reportedly be notified in advance before any Israeli forces move in, allowing for staged evacuations.
Israeli security officials estimated that the evacuation of residents from Rafah could take between four and five weeks, according to the same source.
This comes after the Israeli army made a fourth round of modifications to the plans earlier this week, in response to US reservations.
A quoted Israeli security official mentioned that Tel Aviv is in the process of establishing an “operations room” with the US to manage the operation in Rafah.
The official emphasized the importance of entering Rafah, citing pressure to address the issue of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Reports also highlighted the US stance on the matter, with Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reporting that the decision to enter Rafah was made recently following a rejection by Gaza leader of Palestinian resistance group Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, of a proposal for a prisoner swap.
The newspaper suggested that Israel’s restraint in response to an earlier Iranian missile and drone attack contributed to easing opposition in Washington to an operation in Rafah.
Despite global outcry over the dire situation in the Palestinian enclave, Israeli Prime Minister has expressed intentions to attack Rafah, one of the last significant communities spared from a ground invasion.
Israel’s deadly military offensive has been ongoing since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, resulting in nearly 1,200 deaths and severe destruction.
The war, now in its 200th day, has led to internal displacement for 85% of Gaza’s population and widespread shortages of essentials.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has accused Israel of genocide and issued an interim ruling in January ordering Tel Aviv to cease genocidal acts and ensure humanitarian assistance to Gaza civilians.
