More than 100,000 people have fled Rafah ahead of threatened invasion
Israel continues its bombardments despite Hamas accepting a ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators.
The population in Rafah had swelled to around 1.5 million after hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled fighting in other areas of Gaza.
Israel's military on Monday called for Gazans to leave eastern Rafah, which triggered widespread international alarm.
Israel has long resisted the idea of a permanent ceasefire, insisting it must finish the job of dismantling Hamas.