In the far south of the Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt, the town of
Rafah has been hosting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians
driven from elsewhere in the enclave due to the ongoing Israeli
military operation.
There are also grave concerns that humanitarian aid stocks are
fast running out across the war-torn Strip, and fuel reserves
will run out by the end of the day.
“The closure of both the Rafah and Karem Shalom crossings is
especially damaging to an already dire humanitarian situation.
They must be re-opened immediately,” Secretary-General António
Guterressaid at a press stakeout at
UN Headquarters in New York.
He called on the Israeli Government to stop any escalation and
engage constructively in the ongoing diplomatic talks.
“After more than 1,100 Israelis killed in the Hamas terror
attacks of 7 October, after more than 34,000 Palestinians killed
in Gaza, haven't we seen enough?”
Agreement essential
Mr. Guterres underscored the need for an agreement between the
Government of Israel and the leadership of Hamas to stop the
“unbearable suffering” of both Palestinians in Gaza and the
Israeli hostages and their families.
“It would be tragic if weeks of intense diplomatic activity for
peace in Gaza, yield no ceasefire. No release of hostages. And a
devastating offensive in Rafah,” he said, stressing:
“I reiterate my appeal for both parties to show the political
courage and spare no effort to secure an agreement now.”
Human catastrophe
The UN chief further emphasized that a full-scale assault on
Rafah will be a “human catastrophe”.
“Countless more civilian casualties. Countless more families
forced to flee yet again – with nowhere safe to go. Because there
is no safe place in Gaza,” Mr. Guterres said.
“Attacking Rafah will further upend our efforts to support people
in dire humanitarian straits as famine looms.”
Call on ‘those with influence'
Mr. Guterres also warned that the repercussions of an attack on
Rafah will be felt far beyond the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, the
occupied West Bank and the wider Middle East region.
“Even the best friends of Israel are clear: An assault on Rafah
would be a strategic mistake, a political calamity, and a
humanitarian nightmare,” he said.
“I appeal to all those with influence over Israel to do
everything in their power to help avert even more tragedy.”
