Israel army says about 300,000 Gazans have ‘evacuated’ east Rafah

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said on Saturday about 300,000 people have left eastern Rafah for a humanitarian area since it ordered an evacuation of the southern Gaza city this week.

"So far, approximately 300,000 Gazans have moved towards the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi" since the order was issued on Monday, the military said in a statement.

On Friday, the United Nations said more than 100,000 people had fled Rafah in recent days.

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The army's calls for a "temporary evacuation" were being communicated to people through leaflets, mobile text messages, phone calls and broadcasts in Arabic, its statement said.

The military ordered the evacuation of eastern Rafah on Monday as it seized control of the crossing with the Egyptian border ahead of its long-threatened ground assault in the city where some 1.4 million people are sheltering.

Earlier on Saturday the military ordered people to leave more areas in eastern Rafah and northern Gaza Strip as it pressed ahead with its fight against Hamas.

The evacuation orders and the army's intense bombing of eastern Rafah have raised widespread international alarm.