The Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas’ calls to end the war in Gaza and 100,000 Palestinians have been ordered to evacuate Rafah on Monday.
The Israeli Defence Force has claimed that Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold and they claim there is four battalions in the area.
There are fresh fears there will be an imminent attack by Israel in Rafah, despite Western leaders warning there will be a humanitarian catastrophe which will affect thousands of innocent people.
The United Nation have warned there is around one million Palestinians thought to be sheltering in Rafah and the death toll of innocents will rise dramatically.
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has warned that Netanyahu will conduct attacks in Rafah to storm the area.
Gallant told Israeli soldiers they are preparing a “powerful operation” in the “near future” in “Rafah and other places across all of Gaza.”
Gallant added, “We have clear goals for this war: we are committed to the elimination of Hamas and the release of the hostages.
“We have identified alarming signs that Hamas actually does not intend to go for any agreement framework with us. What this means is an operation in Rafah and the entire Gaza Strip in the very near future.”
An IDF spokesman issued an “urgent appeal” to all residents of Rafah to evacuate, whilst a senior Hamas official has warned this is a “dangerous escalation.”
Speaking to Reuters, Sami Abu Zuhri said the move by the Israeli military “will have consequences.”
The Israeli military are urging the Palestinian in Rafah to move to a “humanitarian area” in the area of al Mawasi where there is tents, field hospitals and aid.