Israel urges more civilians to depart from Rafah.
In Rafah, situated in the south of the Gaza Strip, tensions are at their peak, as per the United Nations. Humanitarian aid has barely crossed the border since the Israeli forces took over the only crossing leading to Egypt. Furthermore, an extension of the offensive appears to be imminent in the area.
The Israeli military has made an announcement for the residents of Rafah to evacuate specific areas in the city's southern region. They informed through Platform X and text messages, which mentioned the target locations, specifically two refugee camps. The people cited in these locations were instructed to move to the village of Al-Mawasi on the Mediterranean coast, the message stated.
This command suggests that the military intends to broaden its efforts against Hamas, an Islamist group in control of the city along the border with Egypt. The operation, which commenced at the beginning of the week, has attracted widespread criticism. The UN reveals that more than a million individuals displaced by the clashes elsewhere in Gaza Strip are currently grouped in Rafah.
The United States, Israel's closest ally, is urging caution against a full-scale attack on Rafah. Joe Biden, the US President, has even threatened to limit the provision of weapons. According to their own statements, the Israeli leadership is striving to eradicate the final battalions of Hamas troops in Rafah. Additionally, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a severe warning about the devastating consequences of such a move on civilians. "Rafah's situation is on a razor's edge," Mr. Guterres shared. "A large-scale attack on Rafah could cause an unparalleled humanitarian disaster, thwarting our endeavors to help those who are barely surviving the threat of famine."
Shortage of fuel
Italy has made a desperate appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to enjoin Israel to curb its unlawful activities in Rafah. They insist on urgently withdrawing the military from the area. France has issued a strong call for Israel to terminate the operation in Rafah, as a critical situation for the civilian population is imminent.
Humanitarian aid workers are relaying distressing scenarios in Rafah. Hospital services are expected to cease within 24 hours if an urgent energy delivery is not furnished. The crossing in Rafah to Egypt, which was earlier used to dispense assistance to the coastal region, has been shut down since the Israeli forces seized control on the Palestinian side on Tuesday.
On the other hand, Hamas has communicated that it has repeatedly targeted the Kerem Shalom border crossing. Israel accused the organization of attempting to impede the delivery of relief products to Gaza. The border crossing was reopened following a period of closure, according to UN information. Although a few gasoline shipments were received from there, the UN confirms that there were no food provisions accepted.
One explanation for this is that Egypt, where most aid supplies for the Gaza Strip are assembled and loaded, is vetoing the progress of trucks from the closed Rafah crossing to Kerem Shalom, as reported by the "New York Times" newspaper. Both American and Israeli representatives have asserted that Egypt is exerting pressure on Israel to abandon Rafah.
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The United Nations has expressed concerns over the situation in Rafah, as tensions remain high among Palestinians due to the Middle East conflict. The Israeli military's announcement for the evacuation of specific areas in Rafah's southern region threatens to displace over a million Palestinians living in refugee camps, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
The United Nations and global powers have called on Israel to exercise caution, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning of the potential for an unprecedented humanitarian disaster if a large-scale attack on Rafah was to occur. Italy and France have pleaded with the International Court of Justice and Israel, respectively, to cease military activities in Rafah and ensure the safety and well-being of the Palestinian civilians.
Source: www.ntv.de
