Dsplaced Palestinians in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah are fleeing toward northern Deir al-Balah as Israeli airstrikes intensify and the prospect of ground operations in the city approaches, according to a UN body.
“Intensified airstrikes on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population are crammed into less than 20 per cent of the Gaza Strip, and statements by Israeli officials about a ground operation in Gaza have reportedly led to the movement of people out of Gaza’s southernmost governorate toward Deir al Balah,” the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs wrote Thursday in a flash update.
What Israel is saying: On Friday, former Israeli alternate prime minister and current war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said Israel “won’t stop” until all hostages are returned, even if that means continuing hostilities during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
He added that Israel is preparing for a military incursion into Rafah, and will act “in dialogue” with its partners, including Egypt, and “direct the population to protected areas.”
In a separate statement on Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters Israel had “no intention” of sending Palestinians into Egypt as part of an evacuation of Rafah. Gallant provided no further details about a potential evacuation.
