UN, US, And Canada Rebuke Israel For Its Planned Ground Offense Over 1.3 Million Palestinians In Rafah (image@UNRWA)
Israel Prime Minister ordered military to develop a plan to evacuate Palestinians from Rafah. Rafah is where more than half of Gaza’s population is sheltering now after being chased around since the beginning of the war. US and UN voiced concern over the Israeli move to assault Rafah. According to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), more than 600,000 children and their families were displaced in Rafah.
The Israeli occupation force has increased its air strike on the southern cities of Rafah ahead of the said ground offensive. Thousands of Palestinians are now trapped in the small border area. UNICEF warns that “thousands more could die in the violence or by lack of essential services, and further disruption of humanitarian assistance”.
UN spokesperson Stephen Dujarric said UN is “extremely worried” about the possible ground invasion of Israel into Rafah. While talking to reporters in New York, he said, “I think what is clear is that people need to be protected. But we also do not want to see any forced displacement, forced mass displacement of people, which is, by definition, against their will”.
The Secretary General of Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland said “you cannot have a war in refugee camp”. He said Rafah has now become largest refugee camp on earth. In an interview with BBC, he said, “Rafah has now become the largest refugee camp on earth. One million people fled here because it was supposed to be safe. They’ve joined the population which is there already… It’s the most crowded, it’s the largest refugee camp on earth, and you cannot have a war in a refugee camp”.
Over-crowded Rafah is under threat: People have been forced to flee here. And now this last escape is in grave danger of bombardment.
There is nowhere else to go: expanded hostilities here would be devastating.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/F65xombie9— Jan Egeland (@NRC_Egeland) February 8, 2024
United aid chief Martin Griffiths said people in Rafah are facing “unthinkable suffering”.
Many of the well over 1 million people who make up Rafah’s population today have endured unthinkable suffering.
Where are they supposed to go? How are they supposed to stay safe? pic.twitter.com/5dK4TB243S
— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) February 9, 2024
Former US President Jimmy Carter’s non-profit joins calls for aborting the Israeli assault on Rafah. The Crater Centre called Netanyahu’s order for military offense in Rafah “alarming”, as around 1.3 million Palestinians are now residing in Rafah in an overcrowded condition. It said, “ordering this new wave of displacement of Palestinians will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing 126-day siege causing over 25,000 deaths, including some 12,000 children”.
Carter Center Calls on Israel to Halt its Plan to Force 1.3 Million Palestinians Out of Rafah
Full statement: https://t.co/pWNeBb4GXu
— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) February 10, 2024
Canada warns Israel about “devastating impact” if it is to carry out the planned offensive in Rafah. It is rare for Canada to openly rebuke Israel. The Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Canada is “deeply concerned” about the reports of military operation in Rafah. Taking to her X (formerly twitter) account, she said, “we are deeply concerned by reports of an Israeli military operation in Rafah. It would have devastating impact, putting the lives of Palestinians and foreign nationals, including [Canadians], seeking refuge in grave danger and making the vital delivery of humanitarian aid dangerous”. She Canada calls for the protection of civilians and “urgent efforts toward a sustainable ceasefire and for increased humanitarian aid”.
