International concerns about Israel’s proposed offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza metropolis teeming with Palestinian refugees, are mounting.
“Over half of Gaza’s population are sheltering in the area,” according to UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, while “many civilian casualties” could occur, according to Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot.
If Rafah was attacked, Saudi Arabia threatened “very serious repercussions”. The leaders of Hamas in Gaza warned that “tens of thousands” of people could be killed.
Israel began its operations in the Palestinian enclave on October 7, following the murder of over 1,200 civilians in southern Israel by Hamas gunmen.
Since then, Gaza has seen around 27,900 deaths and at least 67,000 injuries, according to the health ministry operated by Hamas.
Having been forced to abandon their homes at least once, many Gazans have found up in Rafah. The warnings on Saturday came the day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order for his forces to get ready to evacuate the city in anticipation of a larger attack against Hamas.
The new ceasefire terms provided by Hamas were also rejected by the prime minister.
The EU and UN both voiced their own worries, and the US had already warned Israel that an invasion of Rafah as part of its assault on Gaza would be a “disaster”.
Relief organizations claim that it is not feasible to remove every resident from the city near the Egyptian border.
Rafah is thought to be home to some 1.5 million Palestinians who are fleeing Israeli combat operations throughout the remainder of the Gaza Strip. The majority of them are tent-dwellers.
