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...

The Israeli military on Monday ordered sweeping evacuations in Rafah, signaling a looming large-scale ground operation in the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip. The orders, issued during Eid al-Fitr, directed Palestinians to move to Muwasi, a coastal area of overcrowded, makeshift tent camps. The latest evacuation decree follows Israel’s renewed offensive against Palestinians in Gaza after a cease-fire collapsed earlier this month.

Israel’s Arabic-language spokesman has issued yet another forced expulsion order for Rafah, warning that the military is about to “resume intense combat operations” in the southern Gaza city.

Avichay Adraee warned residents in most of Rafah, along with those in al-Nasr and al-Shawka, to flee immediately to al-Mawasi—a narrow coastal zone already packed with displaced Palestinians struggling to survive.

Israeli Army Radio described it as the most “extensive evacuation since the resumption of fighting.” In other words, another brutal offensive is on the horizon.