UN Official Warns of Potential Slaughter in Israeli Assault on Rafah, Gaza

A top UN official has warned that an Israeli assault on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, has the potential to result in a “slaughter”.
Humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths expressed his concern, stating that Palestinians in Gaza were already enduring an “assault that is unparalleled in its intensity, brutality, and scope”. A possible invasion of Rafah, according to Griffiths, could have “catastrophic” consequences.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to defeat Hamas gunmen allegedly hiding in Rafah. Griffiths, in an unusually strongly worded statement,
highlighted that over a million people are currently “crammed in Rafah, staring death in the face”, lacking food, medicine, and a safe place to seek refuge.
He further warned that an Israeli invasion in the city would place an already fragile humanitarian operation “at death’s door”.

The UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, informed the BBC that the UN has not received any evacuation plans for Rafah from Israel and does not support any forced removals of people.
Dujarric expressed that “The United Nations will not be party to any forced displacement of people.”
Rafah, situated in the south of the Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border, was once home to approximately 250,000 people but has seen its population increase to an estimated 1.5 million due to evacuation orders from Israel.
Many of the residents are currently living in tents under dire conditions with no alternative solutions.

UN humanitarian workers in Gaza have also faced safety concerns with instances of being shot at, held at gunpoint, and attacked due to the breakdown of law and order in the region.
Recent talks between senior officials from the US, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar have not yet yielded a breakthrough, increasing the pressure on Israel to refrain from invading Rafah.
US President Joe Biden has warned Israel to prioritize the protection of civilians, while UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron has urged Israel to consider the ramifications before launching an attack on Rafah.

Recent conflicts between Hamas-led gunmen and Israel have already resulted in more than 1,200 people being killed in Israel. In response, Israel initiated a military campaign in the Gaza Strip that has claimed the lives of over 28,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left more than 68,000 wounded, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry.