Plan for evacuation

Israeli military kills dozens of gunmen in Gaza

Israel's armed forces have again killed dozens of armed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours. According to the military, 30 were killed in Gaza City alone, more than ten Palestinians in the center of the territory and others in Khan Younis in the south. Prior to the planned offensive in Rafah, Israel's army had presented its further deployment plans.

As the Prime Minister's Office announced on Monday night, the military had presented the war cabinet with "a plan for the evacuation of the population from the combat zones in the Gaza Strip and the upcoming operational plan." A plan for the provision of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip was also approved.

Intended to prevent "looting"
The plan is intended to prevent "looting in the northern strip and other areas", it said. No details were given in the brief announcement. Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians are seeking shelter from the fighting in other parts of the sealed-off coastal area in cramped conditions, was also not explicitly mentioned in the Israeli military's statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to swiftly launch plans for a military offensive in Rafah despite the ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire. He will convene the cabinet at the beginning of the week to approve the operational plan, he announced at the weekend. The plan will also include the evacuation of the civilian population. The working week in Israel began on Sunday.

Netanyahu: Four Hamas battalions in Rafah
The planned offensive on the city of Rafah, which is overcrowded with refugees, has been heavily criticized internationally. Even allies such as the USA are calling on Israel to exercise restraint. However, Netanyahu is determined to go on the offensive in Rafah. It is impossible to achieve his war goal of eliminating Hamas if four Hamas battalions remain in Rafah, the head of government has repeatedly emphasized.