Army orders more Rafah evacuations

Few places left to go for tens of thousands of Palestinians as Israel expands military offensive

- WAFAA SHURAFA, SAM MEDNICK AND SAMY MAGDY

Palestinians ride on the back of a motorbike loaded with belongings as they flee Rafah on Saturday. The latest evacuations are forcing some to return to northern Gaza, where areas are devastated from previous Israeli attacks.

RAFAH, GAZA STRIP Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to leave as it prepared to expand its military operation deeper into what is considered Gaza’s last refuge, in defiance of growing pressure from close ally the United States and others.

As pro-Palestinian protests continued against the war, Israel’s military also said it was moving into an area of devastated northern Gaza where it asserted that the Hamas militant group has regrouped after seven months of fighting.