Why is Israel forcing the evacuation of part of Rafah, Gaza’s last refuge?
Al Jazeera
Israel argues its security depends on disbanding Hamas battalions in Rafah as it calls on 100,000 people to evacuate.
Israel says it will launch a partial offensive on eastern Rafah, an operation that risks exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe brought on by Israel’s devastating war on the Gaza Strip.
Israel has threatened to invade the city in southern Gaza for weeks, irrespective of whether a ceasefire and captive exchange deal is agreed with Hamas, arguing that its security depends on defeating Hamas in Rafah and near the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt.
Israel has made similar assertions at different points in its seven-month assault on Gaza, which has killed nearly 35,000 people and injured more than 70,000.
Israel’s allies signalled that they would not support an operation that disproportionately hurts the civilian population, but Israel is moving ahead.
Here’s all you need to know about what is happening in Rafah:
