EBN- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that a ground assault on Rafah would “put the final nail in the coffin” for humanitarian aid operations in the Gaza Strip.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has also said, “Any ground operation would mean more suffering and death” for more than a million displaced Palestinians sheltering in Rafah, with an official saying “it could be a slaughter of civilians”.
The Israeli military has begun dropping red leaflets on the eastern areas of Rafah, telling Palestinians to flee to al-Mawasi, claiming that the displacement will be “temporary”.
The leaflets state: “To all of the residents and those currently sheltering in the Rafah Camp, the Brazil Camp and the neighbourhoods of Al-Shabura and Al-Zohour. Remaining in these areas puts your lives in danger.”
The leaflets also warn that the Israeli military “is about to operate with force against the terror organizations in the area you currently reside”, adding that anyone in the area puts themselves and their family members in danger.
The Israeli military has regularly dropped leaflets over the Gaza Strip warning of impending attacks and information about so-called safe zones. However, its actions on the ground have often contradicted the information provided.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has extended a renewed warning against the consequences of an Israeli operation in Rafah, adding that the agency will not evacuate from the overcrowded southern city of Gaza.
It said on X: “An Israeli offensive in Rafah would mean more civilian suffering and deaths. The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people.”
“UNRWA is not evacuating: The Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible and will continue providing lifesaving aid to people.”
Rafah, which had a population of about 270,000 before the war in Gaza started on October 7, now hosts the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million pre-war population.
The World Health Organization says more than 1.2 million people are sheltering in the city located at the southernmost tip of Gaza, on the border with Egypt.
Doctors Without Borders estimates that more than 1.5 million people are currently trapped in Rafah, after fleeing from the northern and central areas of the enclave amid Israel’s ground operation and air attacks.
