Palestine calls for ‘safe passages’ for civilians in Rafah ahead of possible Israeli offensive

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki on Tuesday called for providing “safe passages” for civilians in Rafah amid Israeli preparations for a ground offensive into the southern city.

“It is required to protect civilians and provide them with safe passages and guarantee that these passages will be safe and won’t be attacked,” al-Maliki told a press conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin.

The Israeli army plans to launch a ground attack in Rafah, home to more than 1.4 million residents seeking refuge from war, to defeat what Tel Aviv calls the remaining "Hamas battalions."

Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah as Israel pounded the rest of the enclave since Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed more than 28,473 victims and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

"Palestinians in Gaza are being killed by bullets and shelling, and others are killed by hunger and epidemics,” al-Maliki said. “Gaza is turning into an infected and catastrophic area that needs urgent international intervention."

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed much of the territory'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 stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling this January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.