US President Joe Biden has warned Israel to safeguard the lives of civilians who are “trapped” in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, saying they are “exposed and vulnerable” and deserve protection.
He said Israel must show “responsibility” and protect the over one million Palestinians who have sought refuge in the southern Gazan city.
Rafah has been hit by relentless Israeli air strikes in the past few days, with many deaths and injuries reported.
A Palestinian doctor said they are living in terror.
Last week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that he had commanded his troops to get ready to storm Rafah. He swore to crush Hamas fighters hiding in the city.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said any attack would be “horrifying” and many civilians “will probably die”.
More than half of the Gaza Strip’s population of 2.3 million is now squeezed into the city on the border with Egypt, which only had 250,000 residents before the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October.
Many of the displaced people are surviving in shabby shelters or tents in filthy conditions, with little access to clean drinking water or food.
On Sunday, Israel’s military said they had freed two male Israeli-Argentine captives during a raid in Rafah. President Biden reiterated his call for the safety of Rafah civilians after his meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah in Washington on Monday.
He said any major military operation in the city “should not go ahead without a credible plan for ensuring the security” of those living there.
“Many people there have been displaced, displaced multiple times, escaping the violence to the north and now they’re trapped in Rafah, exposed and vulnerable.
“They need to be protected. And we’ve also been clear from the beginning, we oppose any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.”
Last week, the White House said it would not endorse major Israeli operations in Rafah without proper regard for the refugees there.
Many people have run away from Israel’s ground operation in the rest of the Gaza Strip – a Palestinian territory controlled by Hamas.
