IDF Tells Palestinians to Evacuate Parts of Rafah

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned Palestinian civilians to evacuate parts of eastern Rafah, on Gaza’s southern tip, ahead of a long-anticipated incursion into the city. 

For Context: While Israel seeks to eliminate Hamas’ remaining battalions in Rafah, the city has also been densely packed with hundreds of thousands of refugees, who fled south in earlier stages of the war. U.S. officials and others have warned Israel against going into Rafah, citing the potential human cost, and some hoped a recent ceasefire proposal could stave off an incursion. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his intent to send Israeli forces into the city last week, as hardline officials argued the war could not end without such an incursion. 

The Details: The IDF is reportedly evacuating civilians to a new expanded humanitarian zone further north in Gaza. “The IDF will continue to operate in order to realize the goals of the war, including the dismantling of Hamas and the return of all the hostages,” the IDF said. Hamas responded by saying any Israeli incursion would not be a “picnic.”

How the Media Covered It: News coverage echoed past divides on Israel. Al Jazeera (Lean Left bias), recently banned from Israel by Netanyahu’s government, highlighted a quote from one of its reporters on its homepage, calling the evacuation “a truly unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe.” The Jerusalem Post (Center bias), which has favored Israel, highlighted that the IDF was working “to allow an increase of humanitarian aid.” Some headlines differed in attributing the evacuation order to “Israel” or “the IDF” specifically.