Israel's possible military operation in Rafah 'completely catastrophic': UN envoy

UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process warned Wednesday about a "completely catastrophic" potential Israeli military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

"We know very well. The Israelis know, even better, but still planning that having a very active warfare in the area of Rafah, with more than 1.2 million people assembled ... will be completely catastrophic," Tor Wennesland said at a news conference in New York.

His remarks came after Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday that the army's next target in Gaza will be Rafah, claiming it is the last remaining stronghold of the Palestinian group, Hamas.

It is impossible for the UN system to deliver aid "sufficiently and most effectively" on the ground as the hostilities are ongoing, he said.

"We can actually, not at the moment, easily access the north of Gaza, given the conflict as it is, so that conflict needs a pause quickly," added Wennesland.

Commending efforts by Egypt and Qatar, he said it would take "some very hard" diplomatic work to get a cease-fire.

"It's hard to find words on what to say to the people in Gaza as they've lost everything and they've been exposed to a massive destruction.

"It is very difficult to preach hope when you sit in a safe place to people that are sitting in the middle of what is hellish," he said.

He stressed that the humanitarian system is not designed and set up to carry the delivery of all goods into Gaza for 2.2 million people and said: "We cannot get out to where we are unless the cease-fire will start."

After a cease-fire is reached, it will take one year "optimistically" to clean Gaza, he said.

"I mean, don't think about the quick jump into reconstruction of the nice villas. It won't happen," he added

Israel has launched a deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, killing at least 27,708 Palestinians and injuring 67,174 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.