– There might be a slaughter of civilians, and an incredibly hard blow to humanitarian operations in the entire Gaza Strip, because the management primarily takes place from Rafah, says spokesman Jens Lærke of the UN Office for Emergency Relief (OCHA) at a press conference in Geneva on Friday.
He emphasizes that the relief operations run from Rafah include health clinics, food distribution centers and centers for malnourished children.
A representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) says at the same time that a plan has already been drawn up for what must be done if Israeli forces move in. Among other things, it aims to establish a field hospital, but it will not be enough to prevent a significant increase in the number of dead.
Fear that the border will be closed
– I really want to say that this plan is only a band-aid. It will not at all prevent the significant increase in mortality and disease cases that we expect as a result of a military operation, says Rik Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in the occupied Palestinian territories.
He also says that he is extremely concerned that the border crossing between Rafah and Egypt might be closed in connection with a ground invasion. It is now being used to bring medical supplies into Gaza.
No protection
Rafah is located in the very south of the Gaza Strip and now houses regarding 1 million Palestinians who have been displaced from other parts of Gaza. They live close together, many of them in tents, and have no way to protect themselves once morest an Israeli ground operation and possible street fighting.
– There are hundreds of thousands of civilians who have fled to Rafah to escape bomb attacks, an imminent famine and disease. For them, a ground invasion will mean more suffering and death, says Lærke.
Rafah is exposed daily to Israeli airstrikes. On the night of Friday, seven people were killed, most of them children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said he is determined to carry out a ground invasion in Rafah to achieve Israel’s goal of “crushing Hamas.”
As recently as Tuesday, he said that a Rafah operation is going to be carried out regardless of a ceasefire or not.
The United States is also among those who have warned Israel once morest carrying out such an operation because of the great suffering it will inflict on the Palestinian civilian population.
WSJ: Hamas gets a week to think
Hamas is now considering the latest proposal for a cease-fire agreement on the Gaza Strip. The group’s political leader says they will soon send a delegation to Cairo.
Wall Street Journal cites unnamed Egyptian officials as saying that Hamas has been given a week to agree to a ceasefire.
If it is not held, Israel has announced that the military operation in Rafah will begin, writes the newspaper.
“Positive mind”
According to the AFP news agency, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has told Egyptian and Qatari mediators that Hamas considers the agreement with a “positive mind”.
The Egyptians inform the WSJ that Hamas wants a long-term ceasefire and guarantees from the US that Israel will comply with it. Hamas has expressed concern that the ceasefire proposal on the table is too vague and allows Israel to resume hostilities.
According to the newspaper, the current proposal concerns a temporary ceasefire of 40 days, at the same time that Hamas releases up to 33 hostages. After that, there are opportunities to negotiate a long-term ceasefire.
#Invasion #Rafah #slaughter
2024-05-04 01:42:30
