On Sunday, three Israeli soldiers were killed and eleven injured by rockets fired from Rafah by Hamas, according to the Israeli army.
The Israeli army asked Palestinians to begin evacuating eastern Rafah, according to a statement released Monday, signaling that a ground invasion was imminent.
Civilians were asked to go to Al-Muwasi, an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone near the coast. The Israeli army said it had extended aid to the area, with field hospitals, tents, food and water.
The announcement comes as ceasefire talks are fragile and ahead of a highly anticipated ground offensive that Israel has pledged to carry out for months to eliminate the last Hamas militants.
On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas was not serious about a deal and warned against “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah.”
His comments came after Hamas attacked Israel’s main aid crossing on Sunday, killing three soldiers.
