By Merve Aydogan
HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - UN relief chief Martin Griffiths issued a grave warning Tuesday over Israel's planned ground operation in Rafah, saying that increased aid deliveries to Gaza cannot be used as a pretext to launch or "justify a full-blown military assault" on the city.
Noting the already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave, Griffiths in a written statement said, "After almost seven months of brutal hostilities that have killed tens of thousands of people and maimed tens of thousands more, Gaza is bracing for even more suffering and misery."
Despite international appeals to spare the southern Gaza city of Rafah, reports indicate that a ground incursion in the area is imminent, he said.
Griffiths stressed that the prospect of a ground invasion in Rafah threatens to exacerbate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have already sought refuge in Gaza's southernmost regions to escape disease, famine and direct combat. He emphasized that such an operation would only escalate trauma and casualties.
Reminding that humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza are already facing numerous challenges, including "impassable roads, unexploded ordnance, fuel shortages, delays at checkpoints and Israeli restrictions," he warned that "a ground invasion would strike a disastrous blow."
Griffiths acknowledged Israel's recent reopening of the Erez crossing in northern Gaza for aid delivery and efforts to facilitate maritime aid shipments.
However, "these improvements in bringing more aid into Gaza cannot be used to prepare for or justify a full-blown military assault on Rafah," he cautioned.
Underscoring the urgent need for the protection of civilians and the fulfillment of their basic needs amid escalating tensions in Gaza, Griffiths further stressed that "the simplest truth is that a ground operation in Rafah will be nothing short of a tragedy beyond words."
"No humanitarian plan can counter that. The rest is detail," he added.