Thousands flee Rafah as Israel looks set to plough on with 'unlawful' invasion

Thousands of Palestinians fled Rafah today as leaders around the world urged Israel, planning a ground offensive on the Gazan city, to show restraint.

Israeli planes dropped flyers urging residents of the city in southern Gaza to evacuate. They told residents the areas in Rafah where forces will be operating, adding: “Anyone found near terrorist organisations endangers themselves and their family.”

Evacuees should go to what it called the humanitarian area in al-Mawasi on the coast, flyers added. Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians are already sheltering in Muwasi. Another 100,000 are expected to join them. Israel’s Rafah offensive, called unlawful by UK charity ActionAid, looks set to go ahead despite Hamas accepting a ceasefire deal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari negotiators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the proposal Hamas accepted fell far short of Israel’s essential demands but that it would send negotiators to continue talks. Labour leader Keir Starmer yesterday demanded the offensive be cancelled.

With his calls echoed by leaders of the EU, charities and aid groups, he said: “There must be an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages.” Hamas is still thought to be holding around 100 of the hostages it took during its October 7 massacre.

With more than a million displaced Palestinians living in and around Rafah, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Israel’s evacuation orders portended more war and famine. He added: “It is unacceptable.” ActionAid said that an invasion would have catastrophic consequences, warning: “Our aid workers are reporting some of the most severe conditions in recent memory with widespread disease, starvation and chaos.

“There are no safe zones in Gaza. The international community must act swiftly to prevent further atrocities and hold themselves as well as the Israeli government to account.” But the main United Nations relief agency for Palestinians said it was not ­evacuating people. UNRWA said it would maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible, providing aid.

Mr Netanyahu last night spoke on the phone with US President Biden who, like PM Rishi Sunak, expressed deep concern about the invasion. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “The US will not support the Rafah offensive currently envisioned. [It] would dramatically increase the suffering of the Palestinian people.”

Israel said it carried out targeted strikes on Rafah today. The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 34,735 Gazans have died since October 7.