Israel orders about 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate Rafah, Hamas calls it 'dangerous escalation'

The Israel Defense Forces ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate from the city of Rafah in Gaza on Monday and a senior Hamas official reportedly described the order as a "dangerous escalation." 

The United Nations agency working with Palestinian refugees has declared it would not comply with the order, according to reports.

There are more than 1 million Palestinians currently sheltering in the Rafah.

A senior Hamas official reportedly reacted to the order, calling it a "dangerous escalation that will have consequences."

Israel had been negotiating a cease-fire deal with Hamas that would have seen the release of at least some of the approximately 130 people who were taken captive by terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas also demanded and end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and reconstruction of the strip.

Both Israel and Hamas blamed each other for an impasse in negotiations Sunday, according to reports.