Israeli army tells 100,000 Palestinians to leave parts of Rafah before expected assault

About 1.4 million Palestinians — more than half of Gaza’s population — are jammed into the town and its surroundings

Palestinians stand in the ruins of the Chahine family home, after an overnight Israeli strike that killed at least two adults and five boys and girls under the age of 16 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 3, 2024. Picture: AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah

The Israeli army has ordered some 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signalling that a ground invasion could be imminent and complicating efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

The looming operation in the city – where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering and a high number of deaths is feared – has raised global alarm and Israel’s closest allies have warned against it.