Israel surrounded the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

On Saturday, April 12, the Israeli military completed the encirclement of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. This was part of a plan that involved capturing additional areas of the enclave. Since March 18, the military has been notifying Palestinians to evacuate the city, forcing them to leave the limited space surrounded by sea. On April 2, Israel began to capture a territory known as 'Morag Axis' - a former Israeli settlement located between the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have left the city of Rafah, which borders Egypt to the south.

In the last 24 hours, the troops of the 36th Division have completed the creation of the Morag route, which separates Rafah from Khan Younis

It should be noted that Israel may long-term occupy the Gaza Strip and resettle local residents to a special area along the Mediterranean coast. This aims at the ultimate destruction of the Hamas group. The operation plan was developed by the new Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and has unofficial support from far-right ministers who have long advocated for tougher actions against Palestinian militants. Israel's President Benjamin Netanyahu urged Hamas to lay down their arms and leave the Gaza Strip, guaranteeing them the possibility of leaving Gaza. However, this is a complex and potentially conflict-provoking issue. These actions by Israel may have significant consequences for the Palestinian population and exacerbate the already tense situation in the region.