Martin Griffiths, the United Nations’ Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
has cautioned against an imminent ground operation targeting the Palestinian city of Rafah, despite global pleas to Israel over weeks to avoid an assault.
Griffiths stated via the “X” platform that a ground operation in Rafah would be an indescribable tragedy for hundreds of thousands of people who have fled to the southernmost part of Gaza to escape disease, famine, and mass graves.
Meanwhile, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, warned of what he described as a “humanitarian catastrophe” if Israel carried out its threat and launched a wide-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization urged Israel on Tuesday via the “X” platform not to proceed with the invasion, urging all parties to work towards a ceasefire.
This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Tuesday vowed to proceed with the operation despite international concerns about the fate of over a million Palestinians displaced to the city.
Additionally, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Tuesday that any Israeli military assault on Rafah would constitute “an unbearable escalation.”
He told reporters that any “military assault on Rafah would constitute an unbearable escalation, leading to the killing of more civilians and prompting hundreds of thousands to flee.”
Israeli authorities have also been urged not to carry out any such operation, according to AFP.
He also emphasized that such an attack would have a devastating impact on Palestinians in Gaza and its repercussions would be dangerous for the entire occupied West Bank and the region as a whole.
Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would carry out its operation against Hamas in Rafah whether or not an agreement on prisoners was reached.
He also considered that the idea of ending the war before achieving its objectives was not an option, according to him.
He also announced that the evacuation of civilians from the southern city had begun, in preparation for a ground assault, according to the Israeli website “Ynet.”
