Israel’s Planned Offensive in Rafah Sparks International Alarm and Humanitarian Concerns
Israel is facing growing international warnings over its planned offensive in Rafah – the city in southern Gaza crammed with Palestinian refugees
Many Gazans have ended up in Rafah having been forced to flee their homes elsewhere at least once. Saturday’s warnings came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his military to prepare to evacuate civilians from the city ahead of an expanded offensive against Hamas.
Israel launched its operations in the Palestinian enclave after more than 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel on 7 October by Hamas gunmen. More than 27,900 people have been killed and at least 67,000 injured in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Rafah – Gaza’s southernmost city – arrived there after being forced to move again and again, fleeing Israeli air strikes and ground attacks.
But Israel’s prime minister has now asked troops to “prepare to operate” in Rafah too, indicating a potential escalation of the conflict. He believes that a “total victory” by Israel over Hamas is imminent, with the hope of achieving it within the next few months.
In response to this development, on Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had ordered the military to prepare a comprehensive plan that includes the evacuation of civilians from the city. This plan aims to create the necessary space for an expanded operation in Rafah.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said “Over half of Gaza’s population are sheltering in the area”, while Dutch FM Hanke Bruins Slot said there could be “many civilian casualties”.
Saudi Arabia warned of “very serious repercussions” if Rafah was stormed.
Gaza’s Hamas rulers said there could be “tens of thousands” of casualties.
Also on Saturday, the Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement that warned against “targeting the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, which is the last resort for hundreds of thousands of civilians forced by the brutal Israeli aggression to flee”.
Amidst these preparations, Umm Mohammad, a displaced woman, expresses her strong attachment to Gaza. She firmly states, “We never want to leave Gaza. This is our birthplace, our home, and the place where we wish to spend the rest of our lives.”
It is important to note that the United States has expressed its concerns regarding an unplanned Israeli offensive in Rafah. They believe that such an offensive would result in a “disaster” and have made it clear that they will not support it.
It remains to be seen if, despite all his bluster, Benjamin Netanyahu does send troops into Rafah. If he does, history will find it difficult to forgive him.
The irony of the situation is that it was the Jews who faced such extreme offenses under Nazi Germany 80 years back, the same Jews who founded the state of Israel. And now, history has come full circle seems, when Israel has given up all rules of warfare, disregarded the Geneva conventions, and is hell-bent on the utter annihilation of the Palestinian state of Gaza.
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- Shubham Chakraborty, a Freelance Writer, holds an MBA from XLRI and boasts 6.5 years of extensive corporate experience. Departing from his corporate path, he embarked on a journey to fulfill his childhood dream of focusing on writing.
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