Israel is preparing to evacuate one million Palestinian civilians from Rafah ahead of an imminent ground invasion against Hamas, Israeli news sources reported on Tuesday evening.
The evacuation will reportedly involve moving civilians to the nearby city of Khan Younis, under two miles from Rafah, where Israel will establish shelters with food and medical facilities in coordination with international aid organisations.
According to Israeli government sources, the Israeli Defense Ministry has procured 40,000 tents, each with the capacity for 10-12 people, to house Palestinians relocated from Rafah.
The evacuation, expected to take roughly a month, marks the first stage of the proposed Rafah offensive, according to a report by Reuters on Wednesday. The IDF is then expected to gradually move troops into Rafah and target areas where it believes Hamas leaders and operatives are hiding.
