According to Reuters, this is part of a new "security zone" that Israel has vowed to control. Rafah, a city south of Gaza, has become a final shelter for many previous runners, but it is now unsafe.
The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 97 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours. In Shejaia alone, a suburb of Gaza city, at least 20 people were killed in an attack in the early morning.
During the day, another Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City killed at least 27 people, including women and children. The Israeli military said the attack was aimed at armed elements.
In Rafah, many witnesses said the city was being severely damaged. A man with seven children, who has now fled to Khan Younis, said they are leveling everything else, both the house and the property. Meanwhile, some people in Shejaia are also looking for a way to leave, bringing with them what remains.
The Rafah occupation marked a new phase of escalation in the conflict, which had lasted for months. Israel has abandoned the ceasefire that came into effect in January and continues its military campaign. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military is controlling an area known as the " Morag Corridor", an old settlement between Rafah and Khan Younis.
Gaza residents fear that Israel intends to temporarily occupy the area, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless and losing important resources such as agricultural land and clean water. Since the first ceasefire ended in March without an extension, Israel has imposed a complete blockade on Gaza, worsening the humanitarian situation.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it is investigating the deaths of 15 Palestinian relief workers, who were found buried in a farmland near Red River Society vehicles in March. The military said it attacked because it believed the vehicles were carrying gunmen.
Since the conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas attack killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, Gaza has endured a major Israeli military campaign. According to local health agencies, more than 50,000 Palestinians have died.
Although Hamas still controls most of Gaza, Israel says there are signs of dissatisfaction among the people. An anti-Hamas protest took place in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza on April 2, but Hamas called it an act of taking away a rope from Israel.
The situation in Gaza continues to be tense as fighting continues fiercely. The main road between Khan Younis and Rafah was bombed, making travel difficult. Many people are still stuck because they do not know where to go or are too tired after many evacuations.
