Israel says it is "moving forward" with plans to launch a large-scale ground offensive in the southern Gaza Strip; the Israeli military is ready to evacuate Palestinian civilians from the city of Rafah. This was reported by Reuters, UNNwith reference to a statement by an Israeli Defense Ministry official.
Details
An Israeli government spokesperson said that Israel is "moving forward" with the ground operation, but did not give any timeframe. At the same time, the IDF warned that it was ready to evacuate Palestinian civilians, and the country's Defense Ministry reported on the purchase of 40,000 tents, each designed for 10-12 people.
Netanyahu government spokesman David Menser said that the IDF's target is four Hamas battalions, which the military believes are based in the city of Rafah.
For reference
Rafah, which is adjacent to the Egyptian border, has more than a million Palestinians who fled Israel's six-month-long offensive through the rest of Gaza. Residents say the prospect of fleeing again is terrifying.
I need to decide whether to leave Rafah because my mom and I are afraid that there might be an invasion and we won't have time to escape
According to her, several families had recently moved to a refugee camp in coastal al-Mawas, but their tents caught fire when tank shells fell nearby.
Рідкісна публічна поїздка: представники Північної Кореї відвідали Іран24.04.24, 09:04
AddendumAddendum
Meanwhile, at the United Nations, the chief humanitarian coordinator for Gaza says that the future of many people in Gaza is "in limbo," Euronews reports .
Gaza's healthcare infrastructure has been destroyed, with the few remaining hospitals struggling to function due to an acute shortage of supplies and frequent power outages. As summer approaches and temperatures rise in Gaza, the threat of infectious diseases increases
Recall
Israel is conducting an "offensive" operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, which, according to the Israeli Defense Minister, has killed half of Hezbollah's regional leadership.