Despite all international warnings and Egyptian efforts to dissuade Israel from launching any ground operations or invading the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, incoming news does not bode well.
Israeli reports indicated that the army today, Thursday, withdrew one of its brigades from the Gaza Strip to prepare for operations including an imminent ground attack in Rafah, according to the "Times of Israel." The Israeli newspaper noted that the army decided to replace the "Nahal" brigade with two reserve brigades in central Gaza. This follows the announcement by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority on Wednesday that the army is preparing to invade the city of Rafah very soon.
These movements coincide with circulated footage on social media showing rows of square white tents in Khan Younis, located about 5 kilometers south of Rafah. "Maxar Technologies," an American company specializing in satellite imagery, published pictures showing camps in Khan Younis that were empty weeks ago. It is believed that these tents were set up by the Israeli army to relocate residents of Rafah ahead of the anticipated attack on the city located at Gaza's southernmost point.
This comes as more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah, close to the Egyptian border, having fled due to the ongoing Israeli assault throughout the rest of the Gaza Strip. They express that the possibility of being displaced again terrifies them. Egyptian concerns have grown over the potential for any Israeli attack on Rafah, which houses about half of the Strip’s population, to lead to the displacement of those seeking refuge there to Sinai, executing what is referred to as the old-new Israeli "transfer" project. This has prompted Egyptian authorities to raise their military readiness along the border with the Gaza Strip in recent weeks.
Moreover, several observers anticipate that it would take a few weeks to relocate the displaced from Rafah in the event of an invasion, but the United Nations and several Western countries have warned Tel Aviv against proceeding with the invasion, emphasizing that there are no safe locations throughout the entire territory.
