Gaza, May 6 (IANS): The Israeli army carried out on Monday airstrikes on areas in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, said Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses.

Sources and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that Israeli airstrikes created fire belts in the vicinity of Gaza Airport and on the outskirts of the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of Rafah.

The raids caused large explosions and inflicted significant damage on nearby structures, with no injuries reported yet.

Before the attacks started, the Israeli army had called on the Palestinian civilian population to temporarily evacuate from eastern Rafah.

Avichai Adraee, a spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a press statement that "for all people who live in the neighbourhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tabba Zaraa, and Al-Byouk in the Rafah area in blocks 10-16, 28, and 270, the army will work with extreme force against terrorist organisations there."

Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Located in the southernmost part of the Strip, Rafah shelters approximately 1.4 million Palestinians.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza on October 7, 2023, following Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people.