Israel continues its offensive across Gaza and orders evacuations in Rafah.

The humanitarian crisis is escalating.

Journalists, doctors, and witnesses have reported on Israeli attacks across Gaza, where the United Nations says humanitarian aid has been blocked, after Israeli troops, defying international protests, advanced east of Rafah this week.

An Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. Photo: AFP

At least 21 people were killed in attacks in central Gaza and taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah, according to a hospital statement.

In Rafah, witnesses reported intense airstrikes near the border crossing with Egypt, and AFP images showed smoke rising across the city. Other attacks also occurred in northern Gaza.

Hamas on Saturday accused Israel of "expanding its offensive on Rafah." Israeli troops on Tuesday seized and closed the crossing between Egypt and Rafah – the only way fuel could enter Gaza.

Amid stalled ceasefire and hostage release talks, Hamas said a hostage who appeared in a video the group released earlier on Saturday died in an Israeli attack. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that a ceasefire would be reached "tomorrow" if Hamas released the hostage.

The new evacuation order east of Rafah stated that the designated areas had "witnessed Hamas terrorist activity in recent days and weeks." Army spokesman Daniel Hagari later said, "We have killed dozens of terrorists east of Rafah."

"We have nowhere else to go."

Israel said on Saturday that 300,000 people had left Rafah since the initial evacuation order. Large numbers of Palestinian civilians loaded water containers, mattresses, and other belongings onto vehicles and prepared for another evacuation.

Farid Abu Eida, who was preparing to leave Rafah after being evacuated there from Gaza City, said: “We don’t know where to go… There’s nowhere in Gaza that’s safe or not too crowded… We have nowhere else to go.”

Journalists also began dismantling their tents and packing up their equipment to leave the city. "Where to?... This is the question the Palestinians are asking, what's next?", journalist Nabil Diab said.

The evacuation order on Saturday instructed residents to go to the Al-Mawasi "humanitarian zone," on the northwestern Rafah coast. Sylvain Groulx, emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Gaza, said the area has "extremely limited access to clean drinking water, toilets" and other basic services.

The head of the European Union, Charles Michel, said on social media that Rafah civilians were being ordered to "unsafe areas" and denounced it as "unacceptable".

Huy Hoang (according to AFP, Reuters, CNA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/the-gioi-lo-lang-khi-israel-tiep-tuc-tan-cong-khap-gaza-va-ra-lenh-so-tan-o-rafah-post295117.html