World Organizations Warn Consequences of Operation in Rafah

May 7, 2024 Hour: 1:01 pm

In the midst of the brutal invasion carried out by the genocidal Israeli regime against Rafah, Tamara Alrifai, the director of external relations of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) warned of the serious consequences of a military invasion.

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“A military incursion into Rafah could cause a bloodbath because of the density of the population it has reached,” Alrifai said. He added that “another imminent displacement is already creating panic and anxiety among a very vulnerable population”.

“An Israeli offensive in Rafah would mean more suffering and civilian deaths. The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people. UNRWA is not evacuating: the agency will maintain its presence in Rafah for as long as possible and will continue to provide vital aid to people,” the agency wrote in X.

For its part, the United Nations (UN) affirmed that the evacuation of the city of Rafah is a war crime because it contravenes the basic principles of international humanitarian law and international law.

“We have teams on the ground tracking the displacement & we are trying to make sure we understand where people are moving so we can provide services to them.”@ScottAnderGaza to @CNN on the work of @UNRWA in Rafah #Gaza as another wave of forced displacement unfolds. pic.twitter.com/a0Jm3oHy2S

— UNRWA (@UNRWA)
May 7, 2024

“You cannot imagine the deportation of hundreds of thousands of people from Rafah to other destroyed areas, because after six months of Israeli bombing there is no place with infrastructure to accommodate more than a million displaced people”said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, confirmed that the International Organization will not participate in any involuntary displacement operations.

Similarly, James Elder, spokesman for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that the Israeli military attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza “will greatly complicate the delivery of aid” to the Gaza Strip, warning of famine if the crossing of the city is closed for a prolonged period.

“A ground invasion in Rafah would be intolerable because of its devastating humanitarian consequences & its destabilizing impact in the region.”@antonioguterres repeats appeal to Israel & Hamas to reach ceasefire agreement. https://t.co/LyaxTWt3Ey pic.twitter.com/iX6XxXu9zK

— United Nations (@UN)
May 6, 2024

Elder noted that “Rafah is a city of children and should not be invaded,” as more than half of Gaza’s children live there.

Early in the morning, Israeli occupying forces controlled the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing and halted the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Any assault by Israeli forces on the densely populated town of Rafah, where 1.5 million people have sought refuge after mass displacement, will greatly increase the risk of heinous crimes, the United Nations warned. pic.twitter.com/3r4C69LsbT

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
May 7, 2024