Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin believes it’s possible for Israel’s military to evacuate civilians out of Rafah safely and effectively before it starts a ground invasion, though he’s worried about Israel’s ability to execute such a plan.
More than a million Palestinians have fled from their homes to the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah, which is along the strip’s border with Egypt. It’s also where the last four Hamas battalions are hiding.
Several U.S. officials, including Austin, have said they do not support a full-scale ground invasion of Rafah unless the Israelis come up with a comprehensive plan of how to evacuate civilians who sought refuge there and provide them with food, medicine, and a place to sleep wherever they’re taken.
If the Israelis want to carry out operations in Rafah, “then those civilians must be accounted for and hopefully moved out
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