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UN Secretary General António Guterres

Photo: JUSTIN LANE / EPA

UN Secretary General António Guterres has warned Israel against a military offensive in the southern Gaza Strip. "I am particularly disturbed by reports that the Israeli military intends to next focus on Rafah - where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are under pressure in a desperate search for safety," Guterres told the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.

According to Guterres, such an action would "exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with unforeseen regional consequences." It is time for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously rejected the radical Islamic Hamas's call for a ceasefire and said he had ordered an expansion of military operations in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli armed forces have been instructed to "prepare" for an operation in Rafah and two refugee camps, Netanyahu said in a televised speech. Accepting Hamas's "bizarre demands" will not lead to the release of the hostages, "but will only invite another massacre," he emphasized.

More than 1.3 million refugees are staying in Rafah

Fighting in the city in the south of the Gaza Strip could result in countless deaths. So far, no Israeli ground troops have been deployed in Rafah on the border with Egypt.

According to the UN, there are now more than 1.3 million Palestinian internal refugees in the city, which once had a population of 200,000. According to Netanyahu, the area contains the “last remaining bastions of Hamas.”

The war between Israel and Hamas has now lasted four months. On October 7th, fighters from Hamas, which the EU and the USA classify as a terrorist organization, and other militant Palestinian groups attacked Israel and carried out numerous massacres. According to Israeli reports, they killed around 1,160 people, including many civilians.

Around 250 people were also kidnapped as hostages in the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli information, 132 hostages are still held by Hamas, 29 of whom are believed to be dead.

In response to the attack, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a massive military operation in the Palestinian territory. According to Hamas' latest figures, which cannot be independently verified, more than 27,700 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli offensive began.

aka/dpa/AFP