Israel tells civilians to leave Rafah as it weighs attack

Israel’s military has told civilians to move out of parts of Rafah, a possible prelude to a long-expected attack on the Gazan city.

The Israel Defense Forces “will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence,” a spokesman said on X on Monday morning. He urged residents of eastern Rafah to go north to an “expanded humanitarian area” near Khan Younis, another city in Gaza.

Large numbers of people started leaving Rafah in cars, on foot and on horse-drawn carriages.

The move comes after cease-fire talks between Hamas and Israel in Cairo over the weekend stalled, the main sticking point being the Iran-backed militant group’s insistence that any truce is permanent. Hamas also killed four Israeli soldiers with a rocket barrage on Sunday on the border crossing of Kerem Shalom, one of its worst missile attacks in weeks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for months said civilians in Rafah would be moved out before any attack. There are around 1.4 million in the city, most of whom fled there after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

It’s unclear how long it would take for the bulk of the civilians to leave. Israeli officials privately admit it could take weeks, while the U.S. has expressed doubts that it can be done safely.

U.S. President Joe Biden will speak to Netanyahu later on Monday about his plans for Rafah, according to officials from both countries. Washington has made its opposition to a major ground invasion clear to the Israeli government, according to a White House National Security Council spokesperson.

Most Arab and many European states have said Israel should not attack Rafah, fearing it would cause a mass of casualties.

The Israeli shekel weakened almost 1% to 3.74 per dollar as of 4:50 p.m. in Tel Aviv, heading for its biggest drop in almost three weeks.

Many civilians may choose to remain in Rafah if they’re unsure of the conditions where they’re being told to go. Much of the Gaza Strip, including Khan Younis, which is several miles from Rafah, has been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since the war began on Oct. 7. Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union, may also prevent some of them from leaving.

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