Amid continued Israeli airstrikes on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, the US State Department stated today, Tuesday, that Washington does not want to see a major operation in Rafah, adding, “We haven’t seen that yet.”
The department also indicated that Washington believes more effort can be made to evacuate American citizens from Gaza.
“We noticed the entry of 50 trucks into Gaza on May 12, which is much less than required,” it added.
Meanwhile, the US State Department expressed extreme concern about reports of a UN vehicle being targeted in Gaza, resulting in the death of one relief worker and injuring another.
International Staff Killed
Earlier today, the United Nations confirmed that it had informed Israeli authorities of the movement of the vehicle carrying employees of the UN organization, which came under fire in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Monday, resulting in the death of an Indian staff member.
Yesterday, Monday, the United Nations announced the killing of one of its security personnel in an attack on a vehicle in Gaza, said UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez during a press conference, noting that the deceased staff member was an Indian national.
According to Gomez, another staff member of the same administration was in the vehicle during the attack and was injured, indicating that they were on their way to the European Hospital in Rafah when their vehicle was attacked.
Continued Bombardment
This comes as fighting continues between Hamas and the Israeli army in several areas of Gaza, accompanied by intense Israeli bombardment of the territory, prompting new waves of Palestinians to flee on Tuesday.
The fighting has intensified in the city of Gaza, Jabalia camp in the north of the strip, and the Nuseirat camp in its center, after the Israeli army announced the dismantling of Hamas in these areas.
Rafah city in southern Gaza witnesses clashes and Israeli bombardment, forcing 450,000 people to flee, according to the United Nations, which says “there is no safe place” in Gaza.
Dreadful Escalation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the military escalation in Rafah as “horrifying.”
The population of Rafah city before May 6th, the date of the Israeli forces’ entry, was 1.4 million, the majority of whom were displaced from other areas.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) did not specify where the new evacuees from Rafah were headed, but indicated that “families continue to flee in search of safety.”
Nearly Half a Million Displaced
It is worth mentioning that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that about 450,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Rafah since the first Israeli evacuation order was issued on May 6th.
Several UN agencies have warned of the imminent danger to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian displaced persons who find no safe haven in the entire strip, while the destructive war enters its seventh month.
Meanwhile, the United States has repeatedly warned against invading Rafah, affirming that Israel is making a grave mistake, and has hinted at suspending further weapons shipments if Israeli forces invade the densely populated city after stopping a bomb shipment last week.