Fears mount over new Israeli offensive

By Nathan Morley

Israel is facing mounting international warnings over its planned offensive in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.

The European Union has expressed ‘grave concern’ for the potential consequences for civilians. Similar fears have been conveyed by the UK, Netherlands, and United States.

The British Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, has again called for an immediate humanitarian pause in fighting.

Israel planned offensive in Rafah - the city in southern Gaza cramped with Palestinian refugees – had also alarmed the United Nations.

Around 1.5 million Palestinians are thought to be in Rafah, seeking sanctuary from Israeli combat operations in the rest of the Gaza Strip. Most of them are living in makeshift huts and canvas tents.

On Saturday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) identified areas of famine and hunger in the northern Gaza Strip, where people are deemed to be on the brink of starvation.

UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini said 300,000 people in the north depend on the agency's aid to survive, noting that access to life-saving humanitarian aid is being hindered.

Flour, rice, and tinned goods have been exhausted amid the continuous siege – a situation made worse by a lack of food, water, and nutrition reaching needy areas.

Reportedly, the situation is so desperate that residents of those areas are reportedly grinding animal feed to produce flour for bread.