Displaced Palestinian children in front of their temporary tents on a street in Rafah (French)
Today, Saturday, the World Health Organization called on Israel to refrain from launching an attack on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval of plans to launch a military operation there, despite international warnings of catastrophic consequences of a potential invasion.
WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote - in a tweet on the X website - “I am deeply concerned about reports of an Israeli plan to launch a ground attack on Rafah,” describing this as “a new escalation of violence in this crowded area that will lead to more deaths and suffering.” .
Ghebreyesus added, "In the name of humanity, we call on Israel not to move forward with its plan and seek to bring peace," considering that the evacuation process that the Israeli occupation army intends to carry out before the attack "is not a possible solution."
I'm gravely concerned about reports of an Israeli plan to proceed with a ground assault on Rafah.
Further escalation of violence in this densely populated area would lead to many more deaths and suffering, especially with health facilites already overwhelmed.
#Gaza pic.twitter.com/hWichKUKj9
- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 16, 2024
The director of the World Health Organization explained that “the 1.2 million residents of Rafah have no safe place to go, nor fully functioning and safe health facilities that they can access anywhere else in Gaza,” pointing out that “many people are physically weak, hungry and sick to the point of They cannot be displaced again."
Yesterday, Friday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that Netanyahu had approved plans to launch a military operation in Rafah, while the United Nations and the United States warned of the catastrophic consequences of a potential invasion.
The Prime Minister's Office added, in a statement, that "the Israeli army is ready for the operational aspect and the evacuation of the population," without providing details about this operation that Tel Aviv has been threatening for weeks.
Netanyahu claimed that his goal in the attack on Rafah was to pursue the Hamas movement (French)
Netanyahu previously pledged that he would not yield to international pressure to discourage him from carrying out this operation in Rafah, saying that the goal of this “is to eliminate the brigades of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)” as part of his ongoing war on Gaza, which has left tens of thousands of martyrs, wounded and missing, and massive destruction of buildings. Housing and vital facilities, amidst famine looming over the Gaza Strip in light of the difficulty and scarcity of aid arriving.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies