Israel’s Cryptic Evacuation Plan for 1.4 Million Palestinians
The Israeli military has revealed a new plan to evacuate a significant portion of the 1.4 million Palestinian civilians in Rafah ahead of the looming ground offensive approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week.
In a statement on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that the military will move vulnerable civilians to “humanitarian islands” elsewhere in Gaza, where they will allegedly be provided temporary housing, food, and water to the Palestinians. Hagari claimed Israel will create the humanitarian zones “with the international community.”
The vague briefing, however, has raised questions about how the IDF will facilitate the evacuation on the ground—and whether the operation will be conducted in a way that actually safeguards civilians in compliance with international law.