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Watch: 'We'll never leave Gaza' - Palestinians who fled to Rafah fear Israeli assault

By Marita Moloney

BBC News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to prepare to evacuate civilians from the southern Gazan city of Rafah ahead of an expanded offensive against Hamas.

Some 1.5 million Palestinians are in Rafah to seek refuge from Israeli combat operations in the rest of Gaza.

The US has warned Israel an invasion of Rafah would be a "disaster", while the EU and the UN both expressed concern.

Aid groups say it is not possible to evacuate everyone from the city.

Mr Netanyahu told military and security officials to "submit to the cabinet a combined plan for evacuating the population and destroying the battalions" of Hamas, his office said on Friday.

"It is impossible to achieve the goal of the war without eliminating Hamas, and by leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah. On the contrary, it is clear that intense activity in Rafah requires that civilians evacuate the areas of combat," the statement added.

Earlier this week, Mr Netanyahu said he had ordered troops to "prepare to operate" in Rafah and that "total victory" by Israel over Hamas was just months away.

He made the comments while rejecting Hamas's latest proposed ceasefire terms. The BBC has been told that negotiators for Hamas are leaving the Egyptian capital Cairo, with talks between the two sides now on hold.