In a dramatic escalation of its military campaign to dismantle Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday issued immediate evacuation orders to Palestinians residing in most parts of Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip. The order signals a renewed, intensified phase of operations targeting entrenched terror infrastructure in the region.
Brig. Gen. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, delivered a clear and forceful warning: “The IDF is returning with overwhelming power to eradicate the operational capabilities of terrorist organizations in Rafah. We urge civilians to evacuate immediately to the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi, where aid and protection are available.”
This latest directive follows the resumption of a powerful Israeli military offensive on March 18, ending a fragile two-month pause in hostilities. The renewed campaign was launched in response to Hamas's failure to release the remaining Israeli hostages and its ongoing rocket attacks targeting Israeli civilians.
The current IDF raid in Rafah, Gaza:
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 31, 2025
1. Most of the southern city in the Gaza Strip is empty, and for about a week now, fighters from Brigade 14, Givati, and Battalion 9 have been sweeping the Shaboura and Tel Sultan areas for weapons caches, launchers, and tunnels that were… pic.twitter.com/JskdTkbR7d
Hamas did accept an offer by Egypt and Qatar to release five hostages in exchange for a 50 day ceasefire during the Eid holiday which began Sunday night and the Jewish holiday of Passover which begins April 12th and runs through April 19th. The offer was rejected by Israel as it came with terms that would have left Hamas in charge of Gaza during the reconstruction phase, and called for Israel to vacate the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt, a strategic hold that crippled Hamas's smuggling operations.
Since the operation restarted, IDF air and ground units have struck hundreds of terror targets, systematically dismantling command centers, weapons storage facilities, and tunnel networks. While Hamas’s Health Ministry in Gaza claims that hundreds have been killed, the IDF has maintained that it is targeting combatants and infrastructure embedded within civilian areas—tactics long documented as central to Hamas's military strategy.
BREAKING 🔴🔴
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 31, 2025
The largest evacuation since fighting resumed: the IDF’s Arabic spokesman orders the complete evacuation of Rafah. pic.twitter.com/xJWUF1LwXL
Mass Displacement Amidst a Calculated Military Strategy
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), approximately 150,000 Gazans have been displaced in the past two weeks alone. The IDF, however, asserts that all efforts are being made to minimize civilian harm, including the issuance of evacuation maps, real-time alerts, and the establishment of designated safe zones such as Al-Mawasi, where humanitarian aid continues to flow.
The IDF has a good track record in protecting civilians, achieving the lowest civilian to combatant casualty rate in modern warfare history. According to experts like Colonel John Spencer, the Chairman of Modern Warfare department at the United States Military Academy at West Point, the rate of 1:1.5 shows Israel has executed their offensive against Hamas with prudence and consideration for non-combatants, often cancelling missions at the last minute due to the presence of civilians.
🔴
— Voice From The East (@EasternVoices) March 31, 2025
AHEAD OF EXPANDED FIGHTING: IDF Announces Full Evacuation of Rafah and Parts of Khan Yunis
The IDF’s Arabic spokesperson has just issued a large-scale evacuation order for the entire Rafah district in southern Gaza, as well as for the southern neighborhoods of Khan Yunis… pic.twitter.com/wcYl0KkMn1
An IDF spokesperson emphasized: “Our fight is not with the civilians of Gaza but with the genocidal terror organization that has held them—and our own people—hostage. Every operation is planned with precision to uphold the highest ethical standards.”
Operation Rafah: A Strategic Offensive with Long-Term Goals
On Saturday, the IDF expanded its ground incursion deeper into Rafah, aiming to completely neutralize Hamas’s remaining strongholds near the Egypt-Gaza border. Military officials describe this operation as two-fold: eliminating terror infrastructure and creating a security buffer zone to prevent future smuggling and infiltration attempts.
Military analysts suggest that Rafah represents the final bastion of Hamas’s southern command. The destruction of these networks is seen as vital to Israel's long-term security.
IDF issues order for full evacuation of Rafah and vicinity, tells residents intensive fighting in area will resume, Ynet reports. This sounds dramatic, but in fact most of Rafah is already empty, the report says, no major combat expected. Just another step to press Hamas. https://t.co/uBJZ0iijF2
— Israel Radar (@IsraelRadar_com) March 31, 2025
Calls for Hostage Release Continue Amid Ceasefire Pressure
While the IDF intensifies its push to dismantle Hamas, international voices—including the Biden administration and various NGOs—continue to advocate for a ceasefire tied to a hostage release agreement.
Speaking on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” recently freed hostage Keith Siegel issued a heartfelt plea: “Every day this drags on is a day of torment for those still in captivity. We must reach a deal—urgently. The suffering is unimaginable.”
Israel has repeatedly indicated a willingness to negotiate, but only under terms that ensure the safety and return of its citizens and that do not allow Hamas to regroup.
