JERUSALEM (NEWSnet/AP) — The Israeli army has ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians who have sought safety in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area.

This announcement Monday comes as the latest cease-fire talk attempt ended in Cairo after “in-depth and serious discussions,” the Hamas militant group said Sunday. The international mediators in that round included the director of the CIA; those warning against a Rafah invasion include Qatar and the United States.

Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders insisted the invasion is necessary to defeat the Islamic militant group. On Sunday, Hamas carried out a deadly rocket attack from the Rafah area that killed four Israeli soldiers.

Israel didn’t send a delegation to the latest talks.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said Israel was preparing a “limited scope operation” as about 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi.

Overnight, Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, told U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin that Israel had no choice but to act in Rafah.

Shoshani said Israel published a map of the evacuation area, and that orders were being issued through air-dropped leaflets, text messages and radio broadcasts. He said Israel has expanded humanitarian aid into Muwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.

Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation will return to Cairo on Tuesday.

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