The Israeli Prime Minister has ordered his military to prepare for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians, ahead of its planned invasion of Rafah, according to Al-Jazeera.
Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered military to prepare to evacuate civilians from Rafah and defeat Hamas battalions at the same time.
According to Al-Jazeera, multiple hospitals have been targeted by the Israeli army in Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
The area around Nasser Hospital is surrounded by Israeli snipers who are “shooting every moving object”, Al-Jazeera reported.
Another hospital, al-Quds has been attacked by tanks and sustained significant damage. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it has also lost contact with Al-Amal Hospital due to the ongoing Israeli raids.
The area of Rafah is considered a ‘safe zone’ for civilians, with more than half of Gaza’s population there, including 600,000 children. The UN chief has called for ceasefire before “a gigantic tragedy” develops.
According to Al Jazeera, Israel this morning announced preparations for a ground attack on Rafah. the United States has said they are not going to support the Israeli incursion into Rafah because there are about 1.2 million Palestinians living there.
A Palestinian journalist in Rafah told Al Jazeera that he witnessed bodies flying “from the third floor before they fell on the ground outside the building [and] on the cars inside the narrow alley and in the vicinity of nearby houses” during Israeli military attacks earlier today.