YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. The Israeli army has told Palestinians to begin evacuating eastern Rafah, according to an Israeli Defense Force statement on Monday, signaling that a ground invasion is imminent.

People were told to move to Al-Muwasi, an Israeli-declared humanitarian area near the coast. 

“Remaining in these areas puts your lives in danger. The IDF is about to operate with force against the terror organization in the area you currently reside,” the IDF statement reads.

According to the Associated Press, on Sunday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed Hamas wasn’t serious about a deal and warned of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah.”

His comments came after Hamas attacked Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing point for delivering assistance, killing three soldiers.

According to Reuters, Israel's military said 10 projectiles were launched from Rafah in southern Gaza towards the area of the crossing, which it said was now closed to aid trucks going into the coastal enclave. Other crossings remained open. Hamas' armed wing said it fired rockets at an Israeli army base by the crossing, but did not confirm where it fired them from.

Shortly after the Hamas attack, an Israeli airstrike hit a house in Rafah killing three people and wounding several others, Palestinian medics said. The Israeli military confirmed the counter-strike, saying it struck the launcher from which the Hamas projectiles were fired, as well as a nearby "military structure", Reuters adds.

Just before midnight, an Israeli air strike killed nine Palestinians, including a baby, in another house in Rafah, Gaza health officials said. They said the new strike increased the death toll on Sunday to at least 19 people.

The war began after Hamas stunned Israel with a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 have been wounded in Israel's assault, according to Gaza's health ministry.