In a statement, Hamas, which is at war with Israel, said that going into the city would have terrible effects.
On Saturday, Hamas said that “tens of thousands” of people could die or be hurt if Israel struck Rafah, which is in the far south of the Gaza Strip.
This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had told troops to get ready to go into the city, which is full of Palestinians who have been forced to leave their homes, to find the people who killed many people in the attacks in southern Israel on October 7.
Foreign governments, including the US, and aid groups working to help people in Gaza who are suffering because of the war are worried about the news.
In a statement, Hamas said that any military action would be terrible and “may lead to tens of thousands of martyrs and injured if Rafah… is invaded”.
There is a Palestinian militant group in charge of the Gaza Strip that said they would blame “the American administration, international community and the Israeli occupation” if that happened.
Rafah, which is on the southern border of Gaza with Egypt, has become the last safe place for people in the Gaza Strip to go because of the constant bombing by Israel.
The UN says that about half of Gaza’s 2.4 million people are now staying in the city. Many of them are sleeping outside in tents and other homemade shelters, and worries about their lack of food, water, and toilets are growing.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, said on Friday that a big Israeli offensive in Rafah “can only lead to an additional layer of endless tragedy”.
Netanyahu has told military leaders to make plans for “evacuating” Rafah and “destroying” Hamas fighters who are still there.
New strikes were seen on Rafah early Saturday morning, making Palestinians fear that a ground attack is coming soon.
Source – Hindustan Times
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