Norway demands urgent cease-fire in Gaza amid Israeli offensive in Rafah

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Norway on Tuesday called for an urgent cease-fire in Gaza, warning against Israeli ground offensive in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide’s comments came after Tel Aviv claimed earlier that they have “operational control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossings,” after advancing during the night as their warplanes pounded residential homes.

Israel said earlier it would continue with its military assault in Rafah despite Hamas agreeing to a cease-fire initiated by Qatar and Egypt.

Eide told Anadolu that every attack in Gaza is "a betrayal of Palestinian women and children."

“A cease-fire means the difference between life and death for many people on both sides of the conflict.

“The short-term goal of such an agreement is to bring an end to the immense suffering in Gaza,” Eide said.

The whole world is watching and expects both parties to demonstrate willingness to reach an agreement, he added.

“Gaza is a man-made disaster. Words cannot describe the suffering and hardship its 2.3 million inhabitants have endured over the past seven months,” he added.

On Monday, Israeli forces asked people to leave parts of Rafah making it clear that Tel Aviv was proceeding with its brutal assault and ground offensive on the city in southern Gaza, where a large number of Palestinians sought refuge after being forced to flee other parts of the besieged enclave.

The city's current population is estimated to be around 1.5 million, and it is unclear where they will seek refuge from Israel's military offensive.

NGOs have warned that the people of Rafah, as well as those who have been displaced from other parts of Gaza, have no other place to go if Israel bombs the city.

Despite warnings from Israel’s allies, including the US, Tel Aviv has insisted that an attack on Rafah will take place.

The Norwegian top diplomat also urged the international community, as well as Israeli and Palestinian authorities, to engage in political dialogue, including moving forward with the work for a Palestinian state.

He added that having plans for what happens next is also “crucial” for the ongoing cease-fire negotiations and humanitarian aid work.

More than 34,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 78,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities in Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza.

International organizations, including UN agencies, have demanded a cease-fire in Gaza and increased humanitarian aid access to address medical shortages, hunger, thirst, and hygiene deficiencies leading to diseases in Gaza.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said in March that "hunger is everywhere" in Gaza.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.