Israel prepares offensive and evacuation of Palestinian civilians in Rafah

Humanitarian agencies warn of risks to the population and possible “bloodbath” in a city on the border between Gaza and Egypt that houses more than 1 million refugees. Israeli objective is to eliminate Hamas fighters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the withdrawal of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the city of Rafah, on the border between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt, and announced a ground offensive against fighters from the extremist group Hamas in the region.

The city, the only one of Gaza's largest urban centers that the Israeli Army has not yet entered, is the main entry point for humanitarian aid for the Palestinian population.

Hundreds of thousands of people took shelter in Rafah from various parts of the enclave, after Israel ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza and intensified attacks in the region. Egypt reinforced the border fearing an exodus of Palestinian refugees into its territory. Refugees live in extremely precarious conditions, amid a lack of essential resources and medical care.

Netanyahu's plan to launch an invasion of the city where 1.3 million people have fled in search of shelter does not have the support of his greatest ally, the United States. American President Joe Biden strongly criticized the way Israel conducts the war in the Palestinian enclave.

Biden classified Israel's reaction to the Hamas terrorist attacks carried out on October 7 last year as abusive, when 1,200 people were killed on Israeli soil and resulted in war between the Islamist group and Israel.

Tel Aviv reacted to the attacks with intense bombings that destroyed much of the local infrastructure and numerous homes, followed by a ground offensive that began in the north of the enclave. Authorities in Gaza estimate the death toll from Israeli attacks at nearly 28,000.

Risks to the population

Humanitarian organizations operating in Rafah warned that an offensive by the Israeli Army in such a densely populated area could result in a “bloodbath”, with the death of a large number of civilians.

“There is a growing sense of anxiety and panic in Rafah, mainly because people do not know where to flee,” said the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini.

Netanyahu's office says four Hamas battalions are in Rafah, and that Israel will not be able to achieve its goal of eliminating the Islamist group's fighters as long as they remain in the city.

For this reason, according to the note, Netanyahu ordered the military command to draw up “a joint plan to evacuate the population and destroy the battalions” of Hamas in Rafah. The statement came two days after the prime minister rejected a ceasefire proposal made by the Palestinian group that included the release of all hostages.

The UN has warned that civilians in Rafah need to be protected and warned that there should be no mass displacement of people, which would be a violation of international law.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Netanyahu's plan “threatens security and peace in the region and the world” and that it “crossed all red lines.”

“No war can take place inside a gigantic refugee camp,” said the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland. He warned that the Israeli offensive could result in a “bloodbath”.

rc (Reuters, AFP)