New Delhi: Israel issued a call on Saturday for Palestinians residing in additional areas of Gaza's southern city of Rafah to evacuate, directing them to relocate to what it terms an "expanded humanitarian area" in Al-Mawasi in a further escalation of tensions and suggests that the Israeli military is advancing with its plans for a ground assault on Rafah.
In a post on social media platform X, a military spokesperson also called on residents and displaced individuals in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, as well as 11 other neighbourhoods in the enclave, to promptly seek shelter in designated facilities located west of Gaza City, reported Reuters.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple areas in central Gaza overnight, resulting in the deaths of 24 Palestinians.
Despite significant pressure from the United States and growing concerns voiced by residents and humanitarian organisations, Israel has affirmed its intention to carry out an incursion into Rafah, a city where over 1 million displaced individuals have sought refuge amid the ongoing seven-month-old conflict.
Israel's military has reported that approximately 300,000 Gazans have already relocated towards Al-Mawasi.
Israel has stated that it perceives the need to root out thousands of fighters from the Islamist Hamas movement believed to be deployed in Rafah in order to achieve success in the ongoing conflict.
Recent military actions, including the capture of the main road dividing Rafah's eastern and western sections by Israeli tanks, have effectively encircled the eastern side of the city. These developments have prompted Washington to delay the delivery of some military aid to Israel, reported Reuters.
The White House said on Friday it was watching the Israeli operations "with concern," but they appeared to be localised around the shuttered Rafah crossing and did not reflect a large-scale invasion of the city.
The war was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's military operation in Gaza, aimed at eliminating Hamas, has resulted in a significant loss of life, with close to 35,000 Palestinians reported killed according to Gaza's health ministry. The ongoing bombardment has caused widespread devastation in the coastal enclave, exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis.
In a significant development, the Biden administration issued its strongest criticism to date of Israel's actions, stating on Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-supplied weapons may have violated international humanitarian law during its Gaza operation
But the administration stopped short of a definitive assessment, saying that due to the chaos of the war it could not verify specific instances where use of those weapons might have been involved in alleged breaches.