Israel orders new evacuations as it expands military offensive

Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to move as it prepares to expand its military operation closer to the heavily populated central area, in defiance of growing pressure amid the war from close ally the United States and others.

As pro-Palestinian protests continued, Israel’s military also said it was moving into an area of devastated northern Gaza where it asserted that the Hamas militant group has regrouped.

Israel has now evacuated the eastern third of Rafah, considered Gaza’s last refuge. The United Nations has warned that the planned full-scale Rafah invasion would further cripple humanitarian operations and cause a surge in civilian casualties.

Rafah borders Egypt near the main aid entry points, which already are affected. Israeli troops have captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, forcing it to shut down.

Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel the delivery of aid though the Rafah crossing point because of “the unacceptable Israeli escalation,” the state-owned Al Qahera News television channel reported Saturday, citing an unnamed official. The channel has close ties with Egyptian security agencies.