On Tuesday, the United Nations issued a warning against an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. The organization expressed concern that such an offensive could result in a “slaughter” in the southern region of the Palestinian enclave. Over 1 million people are currently seeking shelter in this area.
Israel claims it aims to flush out Hamas militants from their hideouts in Rafah and free Israeli hostages held there. Simultaneously, the country is planning to evacuate trapped Palestinian civilians.
“Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza. They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door,” said U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths. “We lack the safety guarantees, the aid supplies and the staff capacity to keep this operation afloat.”
“The international community has been warning against the dangerous consequences of any ground invasion in Rafah. The Government of Israel cannot continue to ignore these calls,” he said in a statement.
On Tuesday, talks between the United States, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar on a Gaza truce concluded without a breakthrough. Meanwhile, there were increasing calls for Israel to postpone its planned Rafah assault.
“My sincere hope is that negotiations for the release of hostages and some form of cessation of hostilities to be successful to avoid an all-out offensive over Rafah,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Tuesday.
“That would have devastating consequences,” he went on to say.
According to Israeli estimates, the war in Hamas-controlled Gaza commenced on October 7. During the attack, Hamas militants targeted Israel, resulting in the death of 1,200 people and the abduction of 253 hostages.In retaliation, Israel initiated a military assault on Gaza. Health officials report that the assault has resulted in the deaths of over 28,000 Palestinians, with thousands more bodies feared lost in the rubble.
More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are seeking refuge in Rafah. Many are confined against the Egyptian border fence, residing in makeshift tents. Griffiths claimed they are “staring death in the face.”
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