The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, signaling that a long-anticipated ground invasion may be imminent.

The evacuation order came as indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas appear to have stalled due to sharp differences between the warring sides.

The United States and Qatar, which are mediating the talks along with Egypt, were scheduled to hold talks in Doha on Monday, but Egyptian state media reported that cease-fire talks were halted after Sunday’s rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers. I told him I was stuck.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to attack Hamas fighters with or without a ceasefire, even as key allies the United States, other countries, and aid groups have expressed concern about the humanitarian crisis in Rafah. He vowed to send ground forces to the

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) condemned the Israeli military’s “forced and illegal” evacuation order in Rafah, saying it could lead to “the most deadly phase of this conflict”.

Jan Egeland, executive director of the international nonprofit organization NRC, said Israel’s self-declared al-Mwasi humanitarian zone, where the military has directed some 100,000 people in Rafah to relocate, does not have sufficient resources.

Israel has described Rafah as Hamas’ last major stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders have repeatedly said they need to carry out a ground invasion to defeat the fighters.

Hamas called on the international community to act quickly to “stop the crimes that threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians.” He also called on international organizations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), to remain in Rafah and assist residents.

Israel’s war on Gaza has forced approximately 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people to flee their homes and caused extensive destruction to several towns and cities.

Since October, more than 34,700 people have died in Gaza, mostly women and children, Palestinian health officials said.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,139 people, according to an NDMT tally based on Israeli statistics.