UPDATE - Oxfam 'horrified' by evacuation order in Rafah, says Israeli invasion would be 'catastrophic'

ADDS MORE REMARKS FROM OXFAM, STATEMENT BY SAVE THE CHILDREN

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - UK-based charity Oxfam on Monday expressed deep concern over Israel's evacuation order for the southern Gaza city of Rafah, warning that a military offensive would be "catastrophic" as there is "no safe place to go."

In a statement, Sally Abi-Khalil, Oxfam’s Middle East and North Africa regional director, said that Israel's evacuation order appears to be an "impending invasion of Rafah," despite calls from world leaders urging Tel Aviv to "stop its continued, barbaric, onslaught."

"For over six months, Israel has deliberately and systematically targeted civilians and aid workers, including in clearly marked ‘safe zones’ and ‘evacuation routes.’ Any claims it now makes that civilians can be safely evacuated, have lost credibility," she said.

On the Al-Mawasi area, a humanitarian “safe zone” where people have been told to flee, Abi-Khalil said the area has already been targeted twice.

"It's unfathomable that one government is allowed to ignore all warnings of the catastrophic humanitarian cost with full impunity, and to callously press forward in chilling disregard for human life, international law, and the ICJ ruling to prevent genocide," she added.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civ

"This ground invasion must not be allowed to happen," she said, calling on countries who have given financial, military support to Israel and "carte blanche to commit war crimes," to act before "more atrocities take place."

- 'UK needs to stop selling arms to Israel'

Earlier, the charity reiterated its concerns over a possible Israeli military offensive in Rafah.

"A military invasion in Rafah would be CATASTROPHIC. Almost 1.3 million people, including at least half a million children, are now crammed into this small city in Gaza," Oxfam wrote on X.

On Israel’s order for people in Rafah to evacuate, it says there can be no more "evacuations" as there is "no safe place to go."

Later, the charity urged the British government to "help stop the invasion of Rafah, and avert a further humanitarian catastrophe."

"The UK needs to #StopSellingArms to Israel NOW. The UK Government will be COMPLICIT as long as it continues to sell arms to Israel whilst they could be used to commit war crimes," the group wrote on X.

- 'Time has run out to protect children'

In a statement, the NGO Save the Children also voiced concern over the evacuation order and planned military offensive, saying time has run out to protect children in Rafah.

"For weeks we have been warning there is no feasible evacuation plan to lawfully displace and protect civilians," said Inger Ashing, the group’s CEO.

Reiterating their previous calls to avert the planned offensive, she said the international community has "looked away," instead of taking action: "They cannot look away now."

"Forcibly displacing people from Rafah while further disrupting the aid response will likely seal the fate of many children," said Ashing.

Calling on states to "act now" to protect civilians and prevent "atrocity crimes" in Rafah, she underlined that Israel must abide by the prohibition of forcible transfer and deportation of civilians under international humanitarian law and provide civilians with essential necessities for survival.

"Now more than ever we need an immediate, definitive cease-fire, implemented by warring parties," added Ashing.

Israel has reportedly begun evacuating some neighborhoods in Rafah despite widespread opposition from the international community to its plans to invade the city.

Rafah is home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians, who have taken refuge from the war launched by Israel following a Hamas attack last Oct. 7 that killed some 1,200 people.

Since then, the Israeli onslaught has killed more than 34,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, besides causing a humanitarian catastrophe.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.