
The Israeli army has told Palestinians to leave areas in southern Gaza ahead of what it said would be "intense fighting” with Hamas, a sign it plans to extend ground operations to pressure the militant group into releasing hostages still held captive. The notification on Monday covered Rafah, a city near the border with Egypt, as well as surrounding areas. People were told to move to Al Mawasi, an area near the coast. Two Israeli military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a ground operation would follow against targets...