WHO chief voices 'deep concern' over Israel's increased military activities in Rafah

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) chief on Wednesday voiced "deep concern" over Israel's increased military activities in Rafah and warned that more than a million Palestinians remain at risk.

"We are deeply concerned about Israel’s increased military activities in Rafah, where most of Gaza’s people have fled for safety," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing.

Although an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people have left Rafah for Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, Tedros stressed that more than 1.4 million people remain at risk in Rafah, including 600,000 children.

On Monday, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for Palestinians in eastern Rafah, a move widely seen as a prelude to Israel's long-feared attack on the city, home to some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.

And on Tuesday, the army seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt, a vital route for humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which killed about 1,200 people. More than 34,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and 78,100 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes 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.

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 civilians in Gaza.