Rafah offensive to be 'devastating,’ must not happen, says top Finnish diplomat

Hours after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for Palestinians, the Finnish foreign minister on Monday expressed concerns over Israel's planned military incursion into Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

"An Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would have devastating consequences and must not happen," Elina Valtonen wrote on X.

Citing international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 2728, which require civilian protection, she called for the immediate release of the hostages and a cease-fire in Gaza.

Earlier on Monday, Israeli forces issued evacuation orders for Palestinians in the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah in southern Gaza, a move widely viewed as a prelude to Israel's long-awaited attack on the city, which is home to some 1.5 million Palestinians seeking refuge from the war following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people.

Since then, the Israeli onslaught has killed more than 34,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, besides causing a humanitarian catastrophe.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.