According to an Israeli media report, tens of thousands of people have left Rafah in anticipation of an impending Israeli offensive.
About 150,000 to 200,000 Palestinian civilians have left Rafah since April 7, the Jerusalem Post reported Thursday, citing the army.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report when asked.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, some 1.5 million of the more than 2.2 million residents of the Gaza Strip have sought shelter in Rafah from the continued Israeli attacks.
Aid agencies say more than 1 million people took refuge there during the war.
On April 7, the Israeli army reportedly withdrew its troops from Khan Younis, also in the south of the Gaza Strip. Since then, the Jerusalem Post says civilians have left Rafah and headed towards Khan Younis.
The IDF reportedly hopes that more civilians will follow suit and head to the new tent cities set up in the southern and central Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli radio reports, Israel’s planned military operation in Rafah would be preceded by the evacuation of civilians over a period of several weeks.
