From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
IDF chief: Military will work to evacuate Rafah of civilians before offensive
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi in his press conference also says the IDF will work to evacuate civilians from south Gaza’s Rafah before it launches its offensive there.
“We know that it is more difficult for us to fight in an environment where there are over a million people and another 10,000 Hamas operatives,” he says in response to a question.
He says he has appreciation for other countries’ advice on the challenge, but that the IDF has shown that it is capable of targeting enemy forces in such complex environments.
“In previous parts of the war, we sought to isolate the population. We have the capabilities to do it. We did it in Gaza City. We did it in Khan Younis. We did it in the central camps [of Gaza],” Halevi says.
“I am saying here that the residents of Rafah will be allowed to evacuate the area. It is not right for the citizens, for the residents, for the families, to be in the area of fighting. When will it happen? How will it happen? We will decide when the time comes,” he adds.
The Times of Israel Community.