Doctors Without Borders: Nowhere in Gaza is safe as Israel vows military offensive in Rafah
New York (Quds News Network) – As the Israeli occupation government directed its military yesterday to carry out a major onslaught on Rafah and evacuate civilians, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said it was deeply concerned about the safety and wellbeing of the nearly 1.5 million Palestinians who are currently living in that region.
Throughout the four-month aggression, Israel has told people to evacuate from all other areas of Gaza to the south, including Rafah. Now, there is no place that is safe in Gaza and no way for people to leave.
Avril Benoit, executive director of MSF-USA, said today: “Israel’s declared ground offensive on Rafah would be catastrophic and must not proceed. As aerial bombardment of the area continues, more than a million people—many living in tents and makeshift shelters—now face a dramatic escalation in this ongoing massacre.”
“Nowhere in Gaza is safe,” she continued, “and repeated forced displacements have pushed people to Rafah, where they are trapped in a tiny patch of land and have no options.”
“It has now become nearly impossible to work in Gaza as all our attempts to provide lifesaving care to Palestinians have been diminished by Israel’s conduct of hostilities. The needs are overwhelming, and the situation requires a safe humanitarian response at a much larger scale,” Benoit stressed.
She urged the Israeli occupation government “to immediately halt this offensive, and to all supporting governments like the United States to take concrete action to bring about a complete and sustained ceasefire. Political rhetoric is not enough.”
