The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has announced that it will not be evacuating eastern Rafah in response to Israel's military urging residents to leave parts of Gaza's southernmost city. UNRWA stated that it will maintain a presence in Rafah for as long as possible to continue providing essential aid to the people in need.
Previous evacuation orders issued by Israel in Gaza have faced criticism from the UN and humanitarian organizations, who have emphasized the lack of safe spaces within the enclave for civilians to seek refuge. UNRWA expressed concerns that an Israeli offensive in Rafah would lead to further civilian suffering and casualties, with devastating consequences for the 1.4 million residents of the area.
As of now, the Rafah Land Crossing remains open to passenger traffic, although truck movement and aid entry have been suspended at the Rafah commercial and Kerem Shalom crossings since yesterday afternoon, according to UNRWA's media director at the Rafah Crossing.
