Fears mount of Israeli offensive in Rafah

By Nathan Morley

Palestinians in Rafah are fleeing towards northern Deir al Balah amid fears of an Israeli ground operation.

On Saturday, Médecins Sans Frontières warned that Rafah was the ‘end of the line,’ as there was nowhere else to flee. The organisation said 1.4 million people in the southernmost city face Israeli attacks, starvation, and disease.

Despite that, Israeli War cabinet minister Benny Gantz said Israel would continue its offensive until all hostages were freed.

Raid on hospital

On Friday, Israel's military claimed it had picked up terror suspects during a raid on southern Gaza's principal hospital, as staff and patients were forced to bolt under gunfire.

Though Israel insisted it launched a ‘precise and limited’ operation at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, accounts from the scene differed.

In fact, medical staff inside the facility described chaos and shooting. They reported that at least one person had died, and several others were injured – and that they’d been forced to flee.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, said a participant in Hamas's attack inside Israel on 7 October was detained along with an ambulance driver for Hamas who had transported a hostage into Gaza.

Nasser is one of the few hospitals still operating in Gaza, and has been the scene of concentrated fighting between the Israeli troops and Hamas since the middle of the week.

Humanitarian crisis

Separately, Egypt has denied reports that it is constructing shelters at its border with Gaza to receive Palestinians in the event of forced displacement from the ongoing war.

Elsewhere, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has claimed Israel is waging a concerted campaign aimed at destroying UNRWA. Philippe Lazzarini says a demand for his resignation was part of the Israeli government’s push.

“Right now, we are dealing with an expanded, concerted campaign by Israel aimed at destroying UNRWA,” he told Tamedia, an outlet in Switzerland.