There has been intense bombardment and fighting around Rafah since Monday, when Israel seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, largely halting the flow of aid.
Dozens of people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Rafah since then, local health officials say.
Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over parts of Rafah and over a part of northern Gaza on Saturday that ordered people to flee.
“Forcing civilians to evacuate Rafah to unsafe zones is intolerable,” Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union’s top diplomat, wrote late Saturday on the social media platform X.
Several countries and international aid groups have condemned the prospect of a full-scale Rafah invasion, saying it would be catastrophic for civilians.
Persons:
Gazans, Israel, ” Josep Borrell Fontelles, Biden
Organizations:
United Nations, Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital
Locations:
Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Al, Israel, United