A summary of overnight events in Rafah:
After extensive overnight strikes in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF has deployed another division to the area as Defense Minister Israel Katz says the military is expanding its offensive against Hamas.
Palestinian media reported a large wave of strikes in Rafah and Khan Younis overnight, and this morning said troops were advancing in Rafah.
On Monday, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for the entire Rafah area and a large area of land between Rafah and Khan Younis, where the IDF has previously not operated with ground troops.
Last month, the IDF announced that its 36th Division had been sent to the Southern Command to prepare for operations in Gaza. The division’s forces entered southern Gaza early this morning, as part of the expansion of the offensive against Hamas.
Katz says troops will move to clear areas “of terrorists and infrastructure, and capture extensive territory that will be added to Israel’s security areas.”
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