What has Happened: As we addressed in our April ATW, the Israeli operation to clear Hamas from Rafah and eradicate its ability to further threaten Israel appears to be imminent. Earlier today, Israel ordered the immediate evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians in the area. This order was preceded by a Hamas rocket attack over the weekend (from Rafah) that killed four IDF soldiers. However, as the evacuations started in Rafah, Hamas sent word to mediators that it had accepted a ceasefire proposal from Qatar and Egypt. The initial statement did not elaborate as to what the terms were, ... Academy SITREP – Israel Moves Forward with Rafah Operation