Gaza authorities warn against Israeli crimes in Rafah following evacuation orders

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - Authorities in Gaza on Monday warned against possible Israeli crimes in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, following the Israeli army's evacuation orders and intensified attacks.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said Israeli threats would "exacerbate the already catastrophic conditions" the people are enduring in Gaza, warning against "intensification of crimes against the Palestinian people."

The statement urged the international community and mediators to "urgently intervene and pressure Israel to stop the evacuation orders" and attempts to displace the Palestinian people from Gaza.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee has ordered the evacuation of Palestinians in Rafah's areas of Al-Shawka, Al-Nasr, and the neighborhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Manara and Qizan an-Najjar.

Rafah had a pre-war population exceeding 300,000. During the initial months of the Israeli war in October 2023, the city's population swelled as over 1 million displaced Palestinians sought refuge there, only to be forcibly displaced again when Israel launched its ground offensive against Rafah in May 2024.

Israel resumed intense bombing of Gaza on March 18, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire in the territory, where it has killed more than 50,000 people since Oct. 7, 2023.

Mediators Egypt, Qatar, and the US are again said to be attempting to broker a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.