Hamas warns of 'catastrophic' consequences of Rafah evacuation

The Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas has sharply criticized the start of Israel's evacuation of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, ahead of a military operation.

Israel is damaging all efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war, Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas official, told dpa on Monday.

The move would have a negative impact on the indirect negotiations and have a "catastrophic effect" on the local population, he said.

Mardawi emphasized that an Israeli military operation in Rafah, which is located near the Egyptian border, would not increase the pressure on Hamas.