Rafah is located in the southern strip of Gaza, straddling the Egyptian border. Since the beginning of the Israeli assault on Gaza, displaced Palastionians have been herded to this small 25sq mi piece of land with a promise of safety by Israeli forces. This has been the last refuge in Gaza and is the main humanitarian aid entry. There are approximately 1.4 million Palestinians currently in this area. President Netanyahu is preparing troops for a ground offensive in Rafah after stating the area is,"Hamas's last bastion." He has directed the military to plan for the "evacuation of the population," ahead of the assaults. At least 95 people, including 42 children, have already been killed by four Israeli assaults in the area.

In response to the announcement of the ground assault and the continuous bombardment of air strikes, international leaders have been condemning the actions of the Israeli military. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement, "We oppose and condemn acts against civilians and international law," and called on the IDF to do "everything possible" to avoid civilian casualties. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Isaeli's response to Hamas is "disproportionate." Jordan's King Abdulah said during a visit to the White House, "We cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah... We cannot stand by and let this continue."

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said the alternative to the ground assault "is to surrender to Hamas and sacrifice 134 people... That is not an option from the Israeli perspective." According to Israel, 253 Israelis and foreigners were kidnapped by Hamas during the attack on October 7th. Out of those taken, 130 remain unaccounted for.