GAZA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Saturday ordered further evacuation of Palestinian residents in eastern Rafah, citing upcoming military operations targeting Hamas militants in those areas.
"The residents of the camps of Shaboura and the Al-Adari, Al-Jeneina, and Khirbet Al-Adas neighborhoods in Blocks 6-9, 17, 25-27, and 31 must leave their houses immediately," Avichai Adraee, spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a press statement.
Adraea claimed that Hamas militants used the mentioned areas for military activities against the Israeli people, which forced the army to expand its military operations there to eliminate the fighters of Hamas.
Adraee told the residents to head to al-Mawasi, a zone between the west of Rafah and Khan Younis.
Palestinian security sources said the evacuation means that the Israeli army "is gradually implementing its plan of evacuating the residents to prepare for a large-scale military operation and invasion in the city."
Rafah, with more than 1 million displaced Palestinians seeking refuge from intensive Israeli strikes on Gaza elsewhere, has been facing a dire humanitarian crisis due to the lack of basic necessities, including water, food, electricity, and medical treatment. ■
