UN relief chief warns Israeli military operations in Rafah could lead to slaughter

GENEVA -- Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza and put a fragile humanitarian operation at death's door, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths warned Tuesday.

In a statement issued here, he noted the warnings from the international community against the dangerous consequences of a ground invasion in Rafah in southern Gaza, saying that the government of Israel cannot continue to ignore these calls.

He said people in Rafah and the rest of Gaza are victims of an assault that is unparalleled in its intensity, brutality and scope.

Stressing that humanitarian workers have been doing the near-impossible to assist people in need for more than four months, he warned that "we lack the safety guarantees, the aid supplies and the staff capacity to keep this operation afloat."

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Tuesday cited the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza as reporting that another 133 Palestinians were killed, and 162 Palestinians were injured, mostly in Rafah and Khan Younis, by Israeli attacks within 24 hours.