The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched a counterterrorism operation in the Tel Sultan area of ​​Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip, and called on local residents to leave the area immediately. The official statement was made by the IDF's Arabic-speaking spokesman, Colonel Avichai Adraei, in a social media post in Arabic on March 23, 2025. In it, he warned that the area has become an active combat zone and staying there poses a life-threatening threat. Residents are ordered to immediately evacuate to the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, located on the southern coast of the enclave.

Colonel Adraei stressed that the operation is aimed at suppressing terrorist activity in Tel Sultan and called on the population to act immediately. For orientation, he accompanied the statement with a map showing the boundaries of the danger zone and the evacuation route. According to the instructions, residents must move on foot along the Gush Katif road leading to Al-Mawasi. The use of vehicles is strictly prohibited, and movement is permitted only on specially designated routes.

“Any deviation from the route or decision to stay home puts your life and the safety of your loved ones at risk,” — Adrai warned, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.

The IDF resumed active military operations in the Gaza Strip on March 18, breaking a ceasefire that had been in effect since January. The decision was made after the failure of talks with Hamas, which were mediated by US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff. As stated in the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the goal of the operation remains the complete release of hostages held by terrorists. Hamas, in turn, accused Israel and the US of breaking the agreements and escalating the conflict, which led to new casualties and destruction in the region.