UNRWA reports 80,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reports that following the Israel Defense Forces' call for civilians to leave Rafah before active hostilities, 80,000 people departed the city.

AFP reports that on Thursday, May 9, residents from the eastern part of Rafah were evacuated.

Notably, UNRWA had previously declined to participate in evacuating Rafah's population before the Israeli government's approval for full-scale hostilities.

UNRWA contends that "displacing Rafah residents could heighten risks for hundreds of thousands of people."

A spokesperson for the agency stated that UNRWA would not partake in "the forced evacuation of Palestinians from Rafah or any other area."