:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/35TBLHGMRNH2ZPEQRZQMH5GRAQ.jpg)
On Monday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered the evacuation of around 100,000 civilians. Rafain the south of Linkin preparation for a ground operation with which U.S does not agree and which, according to civil organizations and the UN, could cause a massacre of displaced Palestinians. The order was given a day after negotiations in Egypt for a truce with Hamas were paralyzed, although this Monday the Palestinian militia changed its mind and announced that it accepted the mediators’ proposal.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Palestinians living east of the city of Rafanear the Philadelphia corridor, near the border with Egyptreceived phone calls and voicemails telling them to evacuate and go to the emergency area. Al Mawasion the coast of Link, or to the Khan Yunis area. The IDF also they threw leaflets in the area where residents were ordered to evacuate.
READ TOO: The audio of former Venezuelan lieutenant Ronald Ojeda that confirms the secret operation to overthrow Maduro
“(The Israeli Army) is about to operate with force against terrorist organizations in the area where you currently reside, as they have done until now. Anyone remaining in the area puts themselves and their families at risk.. For your safety, evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian zone in Al Mawasi”, says one of the messages.
As the AP agency explains, Al Mawasi It is an improvised camp located 10 km from Rafa where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled in search of safety and where they live in precarious conditions.
The Army of Israel He did not say whether it was the start of a full-scale invasion of Rafa.
The greatest ally of Israel continues to reject this claim. Through a phone call, the president Joe Biden reiterated on Monday to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahuthe “clear position” of the United States regarding an invasion of Rafa. Washington demands that there first be an effective plan for the safe evacuation of civilians.
On Sunday night, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that his country had no choice but to attack in Rafa.
Approximately 1.4 million residents and displaced people live in inhumane conditions in Rafathe only area of Link which has not yet been invaded by Israel.
According to reports from eyewitnesses in the area and journalists, Palestinian families have already begun to evacuate.
“The inhabitants are evacuating in terror, in panic”Osama al Kahlut, representative of the Red Crescent Palestine in the east Rafa.
“Thousands of people are leaving their homes” Kahlut added.
The IDF believes that in Rafa bosses are hiding Hamas as Yahya Sinwar, Israel’s number one target since it declared war on the Islamists on October 7, after they attacked its territory and killed more than 1,200 Israelis. The reprisals of the forces of Netanyahu In Gaza, more than 34 thousand people have been killed.
Between Sunday night and Monday morning, Israeli forces bombarded Rafah from the air and with artillery, leaving at least 26 dead, including 11 children and eight women, Haaretz reported. The targets were 11 buildings and houses.
For your part, Hamas warned the IDF on Monday that any military operation in Rafah “will not be a picnic for the fascist occupation army.”and that the group’s armed wing, the Al Qasam Brigades, is prepared to “defend our people”.
The operation in Rafa provoked global alarm and allies of Israel They asked that this not be carried out. While the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday that he would not comply with the evacuation order.
“UNRWA will maintain presence in Rafah as long as possible and we will continue to offer vital help to people”, stated the organization on its X social network account.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, described “inhuman” the evacuation order.
“This goes against the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and human rights law,” Volker Türk said in a statement.
For his part, the head of European Union diplomacy Josep Borrelldeclared that the evacuation order “foreshadows the worst: more war and famine.”
While UNICEF He said that around 600,000 children living in overcrowded conditions in Rafah face “a new catastrophe.”
“Given the high concentration of children in Rafa…Unicef warns of a new catastrophe for them, as Military operations will cause a large number of civilian casualties and completely destroy the few basic services and infrastructure they need to survive.”, declared the UN children’s agency in a statement.
The government of Germany He said he is against a ground offensive on Rafa why an “announced humanitarian catastrophe” must be avoidedand asked both Israel Such as Hamas make efforts to avoid a breakdown in the truce dialogue in Cairo.
The NGO Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) argued that an Israeli incursion into Rafa can cause “mass atrocities” among refugees.
“Israel’s military offensive in Rafa could lead to the deadliest phase of this conflict, inflicting horrific suffering on some 1.4 million displaced civilians in the area,” said NRC Secretary-General Jan Egeland, former United Nations humanitarian chief.
Egyptwhich together with Qatar is a mediator in negotiations for a truce, he asked Israel who exercises “maximum moderation” and warned against a possible invasion of Rafa.
Rafa It is located 30 kilometers south of the city of Link and is the largest city on the border with Egypt and the only passage to the African country.
Even before the start of the war, Rafah had a population of almost 300,000but with the massive arrival of refugees it almost quintupled, according to UNRWA.
As the AP agency describes, Rafa It is trapped between Egypt to the south, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the east and Israeli troops to the north.
At the beginning of the war, Israel declared a rural area on the neighboring coast Rafaknown as Al Muwasi, as a safe place. But then he bombed the area and sent troops to take control of parts of it.
Many Palestinians who are in Rafa They came from the city of Link and from other parts of the north the enclave. They want to return to their places of origin, but so far Israel showed no willingness to allow mass movement north.
Palestinians who gather Rafa They have to wait hours for something to eat and some water, often contaminated, a doctor told BBC Mundo.
On Sunday, truce talks between Israel and Hamas reached an impasse after Netanyahu said that “cannot accept” Hamas’ demands to end the war in Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages.
The Hamas delegation then left Egypt. Its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said in a statement on Sunday that the group “remains eager” to reach an agreement with mediators, but that Any proposal would have to guarantee an Israeli withdrawal and a permanent cessation of fighting in Gaza.
But this Monday, Haniyeh himself informed Egypt and Qatar that the Islamic group accepted his ceasefire proposal. He made the announcement in a brief statement in which he gave no further details.
“Ismail Haniyehleader of the movement’s political office Hamasheld a call with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence, Abás Kamel, and informed them of the approval of the movement Hamas of its proposal for a ceasefire agreement,” the Palestinian group said.
At this time, the details of the proposal and the position of the Israeli authorities are not known.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
