The European Union chief Charles Michel on Saturday said Israel's evacuation orders to Palestinian civilians are "unacceptable". In a post on 'X', the EU chief urged the Israeli government to respect international humanitarian law and not undertake a ground operation in Rafah. The EU chief was reacting to the Israeli government asking tens of thousands of Palestinians to leave Rafah, as it intensified military operations in southern Gaza.
According to a BBC report, flyers were dropped from the air and social media posts telling residents in the city’s eastern districts to go to al-Mawasi, which is a narrow coastal area that Israel has called an "expanded humanitarian zone". This comes after parts of Rafah streets were packed with locals and displaced people just days ago.
Khitam Al-Khatib, a Rafah resident who said she had lost at least 10 of her relatives in an airstrike on a family house earlier on Saturday, said there was "no safe place in Gaza".
"They threw fliers on Rafah and said, from Rafah to al-Zawayda is safe, people should evacuate there, and they did, and what has become of them? Dismembered bodies?" she was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Israel has said it will proceed with planned operations in Rafah despite the US and other allies warning that a ground offensive could lead to mass civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis.
Biden Says Ceasefire Possible If Hamas Releases Hostages
US President Joe Biden, on Saturday, said a ceasefire in Gaza was possible as soon as the next day if Hamas released its hostages.
"Israel said it's up to Hamas, if they wanted to do it, we could end it tomorrow. And the ceasefire would begin tomorrow," he told a fund-raising event in Seattle as per a BBC report.
On Saturday, smoke was seen rising over Rafah and witnesses as per AFP reported air strikes near the crossing with Egypt.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that during the past day troops had been engaged in "face-to-face battles" with Hamas fighters in Rafah
In an interview with CNN, Biden said America would continue to give Israel the weapons it needed to defend itself, including interceptors for its “Iron Dome” air defence system. But he said US-supplied heavy weapons had already killed civilians in Gaza, and warned Israel would not keep Washington's support if it carried out military operations in those population centres.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said Britain is opposed to the military operation in Rafah, but is unlikely to follow America in delaying arms sales to Israel.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to overcome his differences with Biden - but vowed to press ahead with its military assault on Rafah.
"If we need to... we will stand alone. I have said that if necessary we will fight with our fingernails," PM Netanyahu said.