‘Anyone who can get out, I would advise them to get out’: Israeli army to Palestinians fleeing Gaza

The Israeli military has asked Palestinians fleeing Gaza Strip to head to Egypt. Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hecht, chief military spokesperson to the foreign media said that the Rafah crossing is still open. The Israeli military spokesperson later amended his statement to inform that the Rafah crossing is now closed. 

"I am aware that the Rafah crossing (on the Gaza-Egypt border) is still open. Anyone who can get out, I would advise them to get out,” said the spokesperson during a briefing. 

Rafah is the only crossing between Egypt and Gaza but there are long-placed severe restrictions on the movement of goods and people due to a blockade by Egypt and Israel. The Rafah crossing was reportedly opened following the strike for humanitarian cases. Following Hamas’ attack on Israel, the Israeli defence forces bombarded Gaza in retaliation. 

The Red Crescent had delivered medical aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing since violence erupted on Saturday. Egypt had also detected flows of Palestinians towards the Sinai border and asked Israel to provide safe pathways and not to target borders. 

Meanwhile, Israel has said that it has retaken control of the Gaza border fence that was breached by Hamas gunmen carrying out the mass incursion in Israel. It said that it has planted mines in the parts where the barrier was toppled. 

In an aired statement by Israel’s Army Radio, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said there had been no new infiltrations from Gaza since Monday. He also denied reports that Hamas gunmen used cross-border tunnels to infiltrate. 

Hamas has threatened to execute an Israeli captive every time the country bombs a Palestinian home without warning. The Israel-Hamas violence has claimed more than 1,500 lives. Israeli media said that the death toll from the Hamas attack climbed to 900 with at least 2,600 reportedly injured and dozens captive. Among the dead are the 260 individuals who were gunned down at a desert music festival

Gaza, on the other hand, said that at least 687 Palestinians have been killed and 3,726 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday.

(With Reuters inputs)

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