UNRWA: Any Israeli attack on Rafah will exacerbate the tragedy of civilians and worsen the famine

GAZA, May 07 (YPA) – The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, has warned that any Israeli military attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip would worsen the unbearable tragedy of the people in Gaza and exacerbate the famine among the population.

Lazzarini added on Monday that the looming threat of further displacement could push the Palestinian public to the brink of collapse, exposing hundreds of thousands of people to additional danger.

He affirmed that an Israeli attack on Rafah would mean an increase in suffering and civilian deaths, with devastating consequences for 1.4 million people.

He pointed out that life in Rafah is fraught with risks and that living conditions are deteriorating and could worsen.

UNRWA called for the protection of civilians, stating that what is needed is an immediate ceasefire, not new forced displacement. The agency emphasized that it will remain with its partners in Rafah to provide vital assistance for as long as possible.

Israeli occupation forces told the Palestinian citizens to evacuate parts of Rafah today, apparently in preparation for an attack that has been threatening the city in southern Gaza for a long time.

Approximately one and a half million displaced people have sought refuge in the city since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Witnesses said that some Palestinian families left their homes in the rain after receiving instructions through text messages in Arabic, phone calls, and publications instructing them to move to what the Israeli army described as an expanded humanitarian services area 20 kilometers away.

The witnesses added that the areas where Israel wants to relocate the displaced people in Rafah and its surroundings are already overcrowded, with almost no space to add more tents.

E.M