Metropolis Desk-
After Israel ordered an evacuation in advance of its long-awaited ground invasion, UNICEF warned on Monday that the 600,000 children crammed into Gaza’s Rafah city face “further catastrophe” and urged against their forced displacement.
“UNICEF is warning of a further catastrophe for children, with military operations resulting in very high civilian casualties and the few remaining basic services and infrastructure they need to survive being destroyed,” the UN children’s agency said in a statement. “This is due to the high concentration of children in Rafah.”
The report stated that many of the young people in Rafah, where the population has increased to 1.2 million, half of whom are children, were already moved many times and had nowhere else to go, leaving them “on the edge of survival.”
“The toll that over 200 days of war have taken on children’s lives is unimaginable,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
She warned that a major military attack by Israel would cause “chaos and panic, and at a time when (children’s) physical and mental states are already weakened,” adding, “Rafah is now a city of children, who have nowhere safe to go in Gaza.”
Rafah’s population has increased to almost five times its typical size of 250,000 people, according to UNICEF estimates.
The agency emphasized that around 78,000 newborns under the age of two are seeking sanctuary in the city and that 175,000 children under the age of five are afflicted with infectious diseases. It again called for a ceasefire and safe access for humanitarian agencies.
Following Hamas’s historic strike on Israel on October 7, the bloodiest conflict in Gaza’s history broke out.
The Health Ministry of the Hamas-run area of Gaza reports that at least 34,735 individuals have died as a result of Israel’s military offensive.
According to the government, minors make up more than 14,000 of that number.
Notwithstanding worries from the US, other nations, and humanitarian organizations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to send ground forces into Rafah regardless of any truce.
Izzat Al-Rashiq, a representative for Hamas, stated in a statement that any Israeli action in Rafah would endanger the ceasefire negotiations.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, described the evacuation order as a “dangerous escalation” with repercussions.
The official stated, “This terrorism is the result of both the occupation and the US administration.”
Later, in a statement, Hamas declared that it was ready to defend Palestinians in Rafah and that any attack there would not be a “picnic” for Israeli forces.
In the cramped coastal enclave of 2.3 million people suffering from seven months of fighting, aid organizations have warned that the evacuation order may trigger an even worse humanitarian calamity.
British organization ActionAid stated, “Forcing one million displaced Palestinians from Rafah to evacuate without a safe destination is not only unlawful but would lead to catastrophic consequences.”
A British surgeon named Nick Maynard was attempting to escape Gaza on Monday when he heard two massive bombs go off right outside the Rafah border into Egypt. He said this in a voicemail from the Gaza side of the gate. About a hundred meters away, there are also a lot of gunshots. It’s not at all clear to us if we’ll escape.
“It was evident how tense things were in Rafah as people were fleeing as quickly as they could.”
According to witnesses, there isn’t much space for more tents in the areas of Rafah and its surroundings where Israel wishes to relocate residents.
Israel claims Rafah is home to thousands of Hamas fighters and may hold several hostages. As a result, Israel has been threatening to conduct invasions there.
It says that without capturing Rafah, victory is impossible.
Source- Reuters
