UN Secretary General Reminds Of The Consequences Of Expanding Gaza Land Operations To Rafah, Israeli General Says No Order

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - The UN Secretary-General warned of the consequences if Israel expanded its military campaign in Gaza to Rafah City, while one of the country's senior generals said a moving order had not yet been ordered.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of unimaginable regional consequences if Israel insists on expanding its military land operations in Gaza to Rafah,

"I am deeply concerned by reports that the Israeli military intends to focus on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are squeezed in desperate efforts to seek safety," the UN Secretary-General said.

"Such action will exponentially increase what already exists, a humanitarian nightmare with uncountable regional consequences," he said.

The United Nations previously cited the situation at Rafah as "a cause of despair."

It said the attack on Rafah could encourage Palestinians to move to Egypt, undermine Israel's peace agreement with the country and anger the United States.

This may also thwart slow-running negotiations with Hamas and complicate efforts to release 132 Israelis who have been held hostage in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

Separately, the top commander in charge of Israel's military operations in southern Gaza said there were no plans to minimize the deaths of civilians in Rafah, as fears of Israeli attacks in the region now the most populous city in the region could result in mass casualties.

Brigadier General Dan Goldfuss, who oversees Israel's 98th Division of Defense Forces, said on Sunday he would draw up such plans "if and when" he received orders to deploy his troops into the region, and on Sunday, the order had not yet been issued.

An IDF spokesman told CNN that as of Wednesday, the information was still accurate the order to move to Rafah has not been issued.

As the IDF continued its ground operations from the north, they consistently instructed civilians across the Gaza Strip to flee south. First to Khan Younis and then to Rafah, thus creating what they call a "safer zone."

Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant promised that the IDF would move to Rafah.

It is known that the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Coordinating Office estimates 1.3 million people have fled to Rafah. But there is no place to leave Rafah, a city located right on Gaza's southern border with Egypt, which is closed to refugees.