Israel orders central Rafah residents to evacuate as major offensive looms

Hundreds of thousands more people face displacement as military instructions suggest likely attack on centre of city

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The Israeli military has told residents of central Rafah to evacuate, signalling a major expansion of its military operations in the city and threatening the displacement of hundreds of thousands more people.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seized the Rafah border crossing with Egypt last week in what it said was a precise, targeted operation" after ordering the evacuation of eastern neighbourhoods. More than 150,000 people have already fled the southern city in Gaza.