Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces are now striking targets in the area, officials announced Monday. The move came hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal.

The Israeli military has begun ordering Palestinians to leave parts of eastern Rafah ahead of what they describe as a “limited” operation in the southern Gaza city. Approximately 100,000 people are being directed to head to an “expanded humanitarian area” in Khan Younis and al-Mawasi. The operation is of “limited scope,” according to Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani. However, concerns remain among locals and more than a million displaced Palestinians crammed into Gaza’s southernmost city that a wider offensive could follow