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'The world has certainly been warned about Rafah. It remains to be seen how many eyes stay, or are forced, shut,' says UNICEF's spokesperson Elder
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has issued a grave warning regarding the escalating tensions in Gaza, specifically concerning a possible Israeli ground invasion of the region's southern city of Rafah.
UNICEF's spokesperson, James Elder, articulated deep concern over the potentially catastrophic impact such an incursion could have on the already besieged population of Gaza, adding that he saw "new graveyards fill with children" in the blockaded Strip.
Elder condemned Israel's targeting of humanitarian aid workers in the Palestinian territory, citing the tragic killing of 7 aid workers in a convoy for the World Central Kitchen (WCK).
"Only a few weeks ago the world was decrying the senseless killing of seven aid workers in a convoy for the World Central Kitchen. It was another grim milestone for Gaza," Elder stated.
"A week later, a UNICEF vehicle was hit, again when trying to reach those in the most desperate need," Elder said, further adding that the "outrage over attacks fades amid new emerging tragedies" in Gaza.
"In my 20 years with the United Nations, I have never seen devastation like that I saw in the Gaza Strip cities of Khan Younis and (the) Gaza City. And now we are told to expect the same via an incursion in Rafah," he said.
He then warned the Israeli authorities against another incursion that could cause more civilian deaths.
Elder said that Rafah, which Israel previously claimed was "safe" and where approximately 1.5 million civilians have sought refuge, would collapse if it was militarily targeted.
He also pointed out that approximately 600,000 children live in Rafah and that it was “home to what is now Gaza’s largest remaining hospital.”
The spokesperson called upon the international community to intervene decisively to prevent further escalation of the crisis and to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian relief efforts.
The official added that "Gaza needs an immediate and long-lasting humanitarian ceasefire."
"How many times have we said – indeed, pleaded for – that? And we must see the release of all hostages, safe and unrestricted access for humanitarian relief, and more crossings for that relief," the UNICEF spokesperson said.
Elder emphasized that the people of Gaza have endured unimaginable hardship for far too long and cannot be left to suffer in silence.
"The world has certainly been warned about Rafah. It remains to be seen how many eyes stay, or are forced, shut," said Elder.
Previously, Volkan Turk, the United Nations human rights chief, condemned a series of Israeli strikes on Rafah in the past few days that killed mostly children and women.
He repeated his warning against a full-scale incursion on the overcrowded area of 64 square kilometers (25 square miles), where more than 1.4 million Palestinians have been forcibly cornered.
Israel has waged a brutal offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.
Nearly 34,400 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,400 injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.
The International Court of Justice accused of genocide Israel. An interim ruling in January ordered Israel to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Source: Newsroom
3 min read
