“About 100,000 people,” an army spokesman told reporters when asked how many people were being evacuated.
According to the World Health Organization, Rafah is currently home to about 1.2 million people, most of whom fled there from other parts of the Gaza Strip during the seven-month war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The evacuation “is part of our plans to eliminate Hamas, yesterday we had a violent reminder of their presence and operational capabilities in Rafah,” an army spokesman said.
On Sunday, three Israeli soldiers were killed and around ten wounded when rockets were fired at the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The army said the rockets were fired from an area adjacent to Rafah. The soldiers came under fire as they guarded heavy equipment, tanks and bulldozers stationed in the area.
Hamas’ armed wing claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which caused Israeli authorities to close a border crossing used to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip.
Tags: Israeli army evacuating people Rafah
