The order, which came during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, applied to Rafah and parts of neighboring Khan Yunis.
On Monday, the Israeli military ordered a major evacuation of the southern Gaza Strip, signaling it could resume heavy attacks in the area.
The order, which came during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, heralded new hardship for Palestinians in the southernmost city of Rafah, which has been battered by the war between Israel and Hamas. The city has endured periods of overcrowding and devastation due to evacuation orders. The war resumed two weeks ago after a month-long ceasefire collapsed.
In the past, the Israeli military has ordered evacuations ahead of air strikes and ground exercises it said were aimed at Hamas.
Source: Israeli military
Based on materials from The New York Times
Avichai Adraei, an Arabic-speaking spokesman for the Israeli military, posted a map of the affected areas on his social media accounts on Monday, including Rafah and parts of neighboring Khan Younis. He said Palestinians should move to shelters in the coastal area to the north.
The Israeli military “is returning to combat operations with great force to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations in these areas,” he wrote.
