Military operations in Rafah could lead to 'slaughter' in Gaza: UN relief chief

The UN relief chief voiced concern Tuesday about a possible Israeli assault on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip -- home to more than 1 million residents seeking refuge from the war.

"Today, I'm sounding the alarm once again: Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza. They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death's door," Martin Griffiths said in a statement.

Griffiths said more than half of Gaza's population is "crammed in Rafah, staring death in the face."

"They have little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, nowhere to sleep, nowhere safe to go," he said, stressing that residents are the "victims of an assault that is unparalleled in its intensity, brutality and scope."

The Israeli army plans to launch a ground offensive in Rafah to defeat what Tel Aviv calls the remaining "Hamas battalions." The planned offensive has triggered concerns of a humanitarian catastrophe.

'GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL CANNOT CONTINUE TO IGNORE THESE CALLS'

For more than four months, he said humanitarian workers have been doing the "near-impossible" to assist those in need, despite the risks they face and the traumas they endure.

"But no amount of dedication and goodwill is enough to keep millions of people alive, fed and protected-while the bombs are falling and the aid is choked off.

"Add to this the widespread despair, the breakdown of law and order, and the defunding of UNRWA. The consequences are humanitarian workers who are shot at, held at gunpoint, attacked and killed," he added.

The international community has been warning against the "dangerous consequences" of a ground invasion in Rafah, said Griffiths.

"The Government of Israel cannot continue to ignore these calls. History will not be kind. This war must end," he said.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, and killed at least 28,473 victims and injured 68,146. About 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the initial Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement 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.