After the Israeli military issued a withdrawal order, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reiterated that he remained “deeply concerned” about the invasion, while Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry warned Israel against advancing what it called a “bloody and systematic” campaign to Attack all Israelites. Gaza and displace its residents.
In Rafah, some Palestinians quickly dismantled their tents and began to leave amid pouring rain. Others questioned whether it was safe to leave. Gazans and aid groups said Israeli forces bombed areas previously designated as safe for civilians.
Nidal Kuhail, 29, a former resident of Gaza City, said he felt anxious and didn’t know what to do. The tent where he took refuge was not in the Rafah area covered by Israel’s evacuation order.
“If we have to leave, we will be entering the unknown,” Mr. Kuhair said. “Is there somewhere we can go? Can we find a place to pitch a tent?”
Staff at UNRWA, the main U.N. agency assisting Palestinians in Gaza, estimated on Monday that about 200 people were fleeing evacuation zones every hour, said Sam Ross, planning director for UNRWA.
Israel requires Palestinians to move to areas including the Gaza coastal district of Mawasi, and further north along the coast of Deir al-Balah. Israel has been advising people to travel to the area for months. The military said there are field hospitals, tents and more food, water and medicine in the area.
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said on Monday that Israel was not calling for a “mass evacuation of Rafah.” “This is a very specific scope operation at the moment to keep people out of harm’s way.”
But Ross said the area cannot safely accommodate all the civilians taking refuge in Rafah, in part because parts of the area are littered with unexploded bombs.
Traveling there would also take them away from entry points for much-needed food, water, medicine and other supplies that aid agencies have been working to distribute across Gaza.
“They will be largely forgotten,” Mr. Ross said.
Mahmoud Mohammed al-Burdeiny, 26, said he believed Israel had been using the threat of a Rafah invasion as a bluff to get a better deal from Hamas in ceasefire talks . But he said the danger now feels real.
So Mr. Berdeni and his wife began packing, preparing for the worst. They realized they could carry the door of their house with them as shelter. They can also take apart furniture to use as firewood.
