Israel orders new evacuations in Gaza’s last refuge of Rafah as it expands military offensive

RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to leave as it prepared to expand its military operation deeper into what is considered Gaza’s last refuge.

Israel’s military also said it was moving into an area of northern Gaza where it asserted that the Hamas terrorist group has regrouped after seven months of fighting.

Israel has now evacuated the eastern third of Rafah, and top military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said dozens of terrorists had been killed there as “targeted operations continued.”

President Joe Biden has said he won’t provide offensive weapons to Israel for the Rafah military operation. On Friday, his administration said there was “reasonable” evidence that Israel had breached international law protecting civilians — Washington’s strongest statement yet on the matter.

In response, Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told The Associated Press that Israel acts in compliance with the laws of armed conflict and the army takes extensive measures to avert civilian casualties, including alerting people to military operations via phone calls and text messages.

Heavy fighting was also underway in northern Gaza, where Hagari said that the air force was carrying out airstrikes.

Northern Gaza was the first target of Israel’s ground offensive, which was launched after Hamas and other terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 250 hostage. They still hold about 100 captives and the remains of more than 30.

Hamas on Saturday said that hostage Nadav Popplewell had died after being wounded in an Israeli airstrike a month ago.

Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives have killed more than 34,800 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties, accusing it of embedding in densely populated residential areas.

Another round of cease-fire talks in Cairo ended earlier this week without a breakthrough, after Israel rejected a deal that Hamas said it accepted.

Tens of thousands of people attended the latest anti-government protest in Israel on Saturday evening amid growing pressure on Netanyahu to make a deal.