Published March 31, 2025last updated March 31, 2025The Israeli military has issued a sweeping evacuation order for the Gazan city of Rafah. At the same time, the Red Crescent has expressed outrage after its medics were killed by Israeli fire. DW has the latest.
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Many Palestinians had already begun to flee Rafah over the past week. [FILE: March 23, 2025]Image: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/picture allianceSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know The IDF has told Palestinians to evacuate Rafah and several nearby municipalities Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit to lead Shin Bet, despite the Supreme Court freezing the incumbent’s dismissal The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has decried the deadliest attack on its medics since 2017 Here are the latest developments in Israel, Gaza, and the wider Middle East on Monday, March 31:
Skip next section Israel orders evacuation of RafahMarch 31, 2025
Israel orders evacuation of RafahThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued evacuation orders for most of the southern Gazan city of Rafah and several nearby municipalities, a spokesperson confirmed on social media Monday morning.
After the IDF ended its ceasefire deal with Hamas earlier this month, it has again stepped up bombardment in several areas of Gaza.
Rafah remains largely in ruins due to a major assault on the area last May.
Despite initially agreeing to withdraw from the area, Israel has argued that it needs to maintain a presence in the border region with Egypt to prevent weapons smuggling.
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Skip next section Netanyahu taps former navy commander to lead Shin BetMarch 31, 2025
Netanyahu taps former navy commander to lead Shin BetIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially nominated Eli Sharvit, a vice admiral and former navy commander, to lead Israel’s domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet.
The move comes despite a Supreme Court freeze on the firing of incumbent Ronen Bar. Netanyahu’s critics have called Bar’s dismissal politically motivated, because Bar was investigating links between Qatar and several of Netanyahu’s top officials.
Following a legal battle, the country’s top court put a hold on Bar’s firing but cleared the way for Netanyahu to interview new candidates.
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Skip next section Medics recover bodies of 14 first responders killed by Israeli fireMarch 31, 2025
Medics recover bodies of 14 first responders killed by Israeli fireThe International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) slammed the Israeli military on Monday for what it called the deadliest attack on its first responders since 2017.
Authorities said 15 emergency workers were killed by Israeli fire on ambulances in Gaza City on March 23. Fourteen of the victims were recovered late on Sunday.
The Red Crescent said the bodies of eight of its medics, plus six members of Gaza’s civil defense agency and one UN employee, had been retrieved following an attack on ambulances in Gaza City. The body of a ninth Red Crescent worker is still missing, it added.
The bodies of eight Red Crescent medics, along with other emergency workers, were recovered on SundayImage: Abdallah F.s. Alattar/Anadolu/picture alliance “The occupation’s targeting of Red Crescent medics…can only be considered a war crime punishable under international humanitarian law, which the occupation continues to violate before the eyes of the entire world,” the organization said.
IFRC secretary general Jagan Chapagain said he was “heartbroken.”
“These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to wounded people,” he said. “They were humanitarians. They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked. They should have returned to their families; they did not.”
The Israeli military has previously said the ambulances raised suspicion by moving without prior coordination and without headlights. It did not provide evidence for these claims.
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Skip next section Gaza marks Eid among ruinsMarch 31, 2025
Gaza marks Eid among ruinsThe Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr began on Sunday. Marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, it is celebrated in a number of ways including feasting, family visits, gifts and visiting the graves of loved ones.
In Gaza, muted celebrations took place under Israeli bombardment for the second year in a row. Families prayed amid the rubble of their homes, a month into an Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid and food supplies into the enclave.
Palestinians in Gaza celebrate Eid amid ruinsTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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