The head of the UN’s Palestine relief agency, UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, has issued a stark warning that a resumed Israeli military assault in the densely populated south of Gaza could trigger a massive influx of refugees, with as many as 1 million people, including 900,000 sheltering in UN buildings, attempting to push over the border into Egypt.
Following a second overnight visit to Gaza, where he witnessed the overwhelming impact on Palestinians, Lazzarini called on Israel to carefully consider the consequences of an offensive in the south if the temporary truce in the fighting is not extended. Expressing deep concern, he emphasized the existing staggering human tragedy and the potential for a further assault to exacerbate the crisis.
Lazzarini highlighted the urgent humanitarian situation, describing it as a “race against time” where disease is becoming as much of a threat as the ongoing bombardment. The combination of the bombardment and the siege has already forced people to move south, and the prospect of renewed fighting raises the likelihood of an even larger displacement beyond the border.
Israel’s previous call for civilians in the north of Gaza to move south for their safety has contributed to an overload in the southern region. Lazzarini stressed that Gaza, already known as one of the most crowded places globally, cannot sustain the concentration of the population in the southern half due to limited resources, including water scarcity.
The dire situation underscores the need for urgent international intervention to address the humanitarian crisis, protect civilians, and work towards a sustainable resolution to the conflict.
