UN Secretary General Says Rafah's Situation Is On The Edge Of The Horn

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JAKARTA - The United Nations (UN) stated that Israel's ongoing attack on Rafah put the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip on the brink.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this was due to the continuing airstrikes across South Gaza.

"More than 1 million Palestinians, half of whom are children, flocked to the Rafah government office seeking refuge," Guterres told a news conference in the Nairobi capital, Kenya, citing.

He warned that Israel's massive ground operations in Rafah would cause a severe humanitarian catastrophe, and stop joint efforts to help Gazans begin to hunger.

Guterres highlighted that the United Nations is trying to facilitate the resumption of important supply disbursement to Gaza, which has long been hampered by Israel's strict blockade, both through the Rafah border and the Slom Brakes.

"Meanwhile, our partners in the health sector informed us that all major medical facilities in Rafah will soon be inaccessible or operational - including the only department being analyzed that is still operating in Gaza," he said.

He said about 100,000 Palestinians fled from Rafah to the north, but humanitarian agencies had no tents or food supplies left in the southern Gaza region.

Guterres stressed that based on international humanitarian law, the safety of civilians in conflict must be guaranteed.

"And, of course, what is happening in Gaza has had a major impact on the occupied West Bank, where we see a spike in settlers' violence, the use of excessive force by the Israeli Defense Forces (military), demolition, and evictions," he said.

He urged more global efforts to advocate an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all Israelis detained in the region, and an increase in life-saving aid.

With more and more conflicts occurring around the world, Guterres said, the fate of Palestinians, Israelis, and the entire Middle East region became uncertain.

Israeli forces have continued their military offensive in the eastern region of Rafah City since Monday (6/5), which displaced more than 100,000 Palestinians from the region to the southwestern part of the Gaza Strip.