
By Ingy Ashraf,
The United Nations warned on Tuesday against an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah in Gaza, An offensive might “lead to a slaughter” in the southern portion of the Palestinian enclave, where more than a million Palestinians are seeking shelter.
Israel claims it intends to drive out Hamas militants from their hideouts in Rafah and liberate Israeli hostages held there, and it is planning to evacuate surrounded Palestinian civilians.
UN aid chief Martin Griffiths stated, “Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza.
They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door,”continued, “We lack the safety guarantees, the aid supplies and the staff capacity to keep this operation afloat.
He stated, “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.”
Talks between the United States, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar on a Gaza truce ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday, as calls intensified for Israel to postpone its scheduled Rafah attack.
Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General said reporters, “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, That would have devastating consequences”
According to Israeli estimates, the conflict in Hamas-controlled Gaza began on October 7, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages. In return, Israel began a military assault on Gaza, which health officials claim has killed over 28,000 Palestinians, with thousands more remains thought missing in the rubble.
“They have little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, nowhere to sleep, nowhere safe to go,” UN aid chief Martin Griffiths stated. “I have said for weeks now that our humanitarian response is in tatters.”
More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are seeking shelter in Rafah, with many pressed up against the Egyptian border fence and living in makeshift tents. Griffiths claimed they are “staring death in the face.”