Rafah offensive to push Gaza ‘deeper into the abyss’, UN warns

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned against an Israeli offensive in Gaza’s border city of Rafah, saying the “catastrophic” situation in the besieged strip may “slide deeper into the abyss.”

“We fear that this already catastrophic situation may slide deeper into the abyss as many Palestinians mark the holy month of Ramadan… should Israel launch its threatened military offensive into Rafah, where 1.5 million people have been displaced in deplorable sub-human conditions,” Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Friday.

“Any ground assault on Rafah would incur massive loss of life and would heighten the risk of further atrocity crimes,” he said, stressing, “This must not be allowed to happen.”

As Israel’s war on Gaza has entered its sixth month, the spokesperson said the UN Human Rights chief repeats his calls for an immediate ceasefire.

“The killing and destruction must stop.”

The UN human rights office also urged Israel, as the occupying power, to “fully comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law”, saying the regime must provide civilians in Gaza with the necessary food and medical supplies, or “ensure that the population has access to critical life-saving humanitarian assistance.”

The spokesperson stressed that those who violate international law that protects human rights and governs the conduct of hostilities “must be held to account.”