Humanitarian groups in Gaza said on Thursday that it will soon be impossible to carry out aid operations in Rafah if Israel goes ahead with its offensive in southern Gaza.
There are 1.5 million Palestinians trapped in Rafah, and Israel has laid out its intentions to push ahead with a major offensive there.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) informed a Geneva briefing of diplomats that the situation in Gaza was indescribable, while humanitarian groups have stated Israel could not expect aid groups to shoulder the burden of all the destruction.
Israel has charged aid groups of not doing enough to provide aid, and, in particular, accused the ICRC of not visiting the hostages held by Hamas and offering them assistance.
Doctors Without Borders and the United Nations agreed that current conditions did not allow for humanitarian aid and could not serve as a point of rescue for the population.
Kate Forbes, president of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said on Thursday a number of humanitarians have been killed in Gaza.
The head of UN aid, Martin Griffiths, spoke against Israel’s idea that the population could be moved to safety before the military’s offensive in Rafah.
Representatives of several Western nations, including the United States, Britain, and the European Union, also voiced concern over the situation in Rafah.
At least 28,663 people have died during the fourth-month offensive in Gaza, the majority civilians.
