May 15. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, has been “dismayed” by the escalation of military activity in Rafá and its surroundings, in the south of the Gaza Strip, by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). ), who have taken control of the border crossing with Egypt and an imminent large-scale ground operation is expected in the area, where 1.4 million Palestinians take refuge.
“These events are further hindering humanitarian access and worsening an already terrible situation. At the same time, Hamas continues to fire rockets indiscriminately,” he said in a statement in which he insisted that civilians must be protected. “at all times” anywhere in Gaza, where “nowhere is safe.”
In this sense, the head of the UN has reiterated his “urgent” call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages, taking advantage of the occasion to request that the Rafá crossing be reopened “immediately” and allow access humanitarian without obstacles.
The Israeli Government on Tuesday urged European governments to pressure Egypt to reopen the Rafah border crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip to the south, warning that in no case will the IDF relinquish control of the Gazan side. In response, Cairo “vehemently condemned the desperate attempts by the Israeli side to hold Egypt responsible for the unprecedented humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza Strip.”
The Israeli Army launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip in response to the attacks carried out on October 7 by Hamas, which left 1,200 dead and 240 hostages. Since then, the Palestinian authorities have reported the deaths of nearly 35,200 people, plus another 480 as a result of security force operations and attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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