Israeli forces complete encirclement of Rafah in southern Gaza
Photo: Palestinians were warned about evacuation (Getty Images)
On Saturday, April 12, Israeli forces completed the encirclement of the southernmost city of Gaza, Rafah, NBC News reports.
The encirclement is part of the announced plan to capture additional areas of the enclave. Since operations resumed in Gaza on March 18, the military has repeatedly warned hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to evacuate the city. This has forced them to leave the limited space surrounded by the sea.
Earlier, on April 2, Israel stated that its forces began to capture an area it called the Morag Axis, a reference to the former Israeli settlement once located between the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have left Rafah, an area covering 60 square kilometers that borders Egypt to the south.
"Over the past 24 hours, the 36th Division’s troops completed the establishment of the Morag route, separating Rafah and Khan Younis," the military announced on Saturday.
Background
The Israeli offensive in Gaza began after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli estimates, around 1,200 people were killed, and 251 people were taken hostage.
According to health authorities in the enclave, which is governed by Hamas, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the offensive began. A large portion of the population has been displaced, and much of Gaza lies in ruins.
Israel resumed its offensive in March 2025 after effectively abandoning the ceasefire that had been in place since January. The campaign will continue, the country has stated, until the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Hamas is expelled from Gaza.
Hamas has stated that it will release the hostages only as part of an agreement that ends the war and rejects demands to lay down arms. A Hamas delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo over the weekend to discuss new ceasefire proposals, according to a source within the group.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Israel might agree to a new ceasefire in Gaza. However, for this to happen, Hamas must free approximately half of the hostages.
