"Humanitarian nightmare"

Israel wants to invade refugee stronghold

Around half the population of the Gaza Strip is crammed into a very small space in southern Rafah.

(Bild: AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the army to draw up a plan for the evacuation of the civilian population from the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. An invasion is apparently drawing ever closer - even though almost half the population of the Gaza Strip is trapped in the city.

The military is to present the government with a "combined plan to evacuate the population and destroy the battalions" of the radical Islamic Hamas in Rafah, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday. More than one million Palestinian internally displaced persons have sought refuge in Rafah since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas.

Criticism from the UN and the USA
In view of the reports of an allegedly imminent Israeli military offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a humanitarian catastrophe and consequences for the entire region.

"Half of Gaza's population is now crammed into Rafah and has nowhere else to go," Guterres wrote on X. "Such an action would further exacerbate the humanitarian nightmare and could have unforeseen consequences for the entire region."

The US government also warned against a large-scale offensive. "We believe that a military operation at this time would be a disaster for these people," said National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby. "We would not support that."

Biden steps up the pace
In view of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, US President Joe Biden has toughened his tone towards Israel's government and described the armed forces' action against the Islamist Hamas as disproportionate. "I believe that the response in Gaza is excessive," he said in the White House on Thursday evening (local time). There are many innocent people who are starving, in need or even dying.

His clear appeal to the Netanyahu government: "This must stop."