The Israeli army has said it was evacuating about 100,000 people from eastern Rafah, ahead of an expected ground assault in the southern city of Gaza, AFP reports.

“The estimate is around 100,000 people,” a military spokesman told journalists when asked how many people were being evacuated.

The evacuation “is part of our plans to dismantle Hamas … we had a violent reminder of their presence and their operational abilities in Rafah yesterday,” the military spokesman said.

“This is an evacuation plan to get people out of harm’s way.” On Sunday, three Israeli soldiers were killed and a dozen wounded, the army said, when a barrage of rockets was fired towards the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza.

The army said the rockets were fired from an area adjacent to Rafah. The soldiers were hit while guarding heavy machinery, tanks and bulldozers stationed in the area.

Rain fell on Monday as the army airdropped leaflets advising about the evacuation, an AFP correspondent said.