Proposals for Rafah Evacuation

Reports are emerging today about Egypt and Israel exploring options for the evacuation of more than one million Gazans from the southern city of Rafah - the last stronghold of the Hamas terror group.

Gazan refugees (screenshot from YouTube)

i24 News quotes the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar as saying that the Egyptians have suggested Israel could send Palestinian civilians to the central part of the Gaza Strip, in particular the area around Deir al-Balah, and declare that as a ‘safe zone.’

An alternative Israeli proposal is reported by The Times of Israel, quoting the Wall Street Journal. That suggests 15 sites should be set up, each containing 25,000 tents, running from the southern edge of Gaza City south to the Al Mawasi area on the coast to the north of Rafah.

In this option, Israel says the sites should include medical facilities, and be funded by the US and Arab partners - countries currently applying a lot of pressure for the civilians to be moved to safety.

As always when it comes to fighting terrorists, the main problem will be enabling civilians to evacuate the danger zone without large numbers of terrorists going with them and launching attacks from the new ‘safe zones.’