Israel's military announced on Monday that it had initiated efforts to encourage residents of Rafah in southern Gaza to evacuate as part of a "limited scope" operation. However, the military did not immediately confirm media reports suggesting this was in preparation for a ground assault.

Israel, now seven months into its offensive against Hamas, claims that Rafah houses thousands of Hamas fighters and views capturing the city as essential for achieving victory. Yet, with over a million displaced Palestinians taking refuge there, the prospect of a high-casualty operation concerns Western powers and neighboring Egypt.

The Israeli military has begun what seems to be a civilian evacuation preceding a potential ground assault, urging Palestinians in eastern Rafah to relocate to a nearby "humanitarian area." Through posters, text messages, phone calls, and media announcements, civilians in specified areas are being encouraged to gradually move. However, the military cautioned that Hamas often fires from these areas despite their designation as "safer."

The military clarified that there's no set timeframe for the Rafah evacuation, with operational assessments determining the pace. They estimate needing to relocate 100,000 people as part of this "limited scope" evacuation.

Earlier, Israeli broadcaster Army Radio reported that the Israeli armed forces had started evacuating Palestinian civilians ahead of a possible assault, although this was not confirmed by the military. According to Army Radio, evacuations are targeting peripheral districts of Rafah, directing evacuees to tent cities in nearby Khan Younis and Al Muwassi.

The conflict erupted after Hamas surprised Israel with a cross-border raid on October 7, resulting in casualties and hostages according to Israeli sources.