The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, urged Israel to refrain from launching an attack on Rafah in southern Gaza "in the name of humanity." Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern on a post on X regarding reports of an Israeli plan for a ground assault on Rafah, stating that further escalation of violence in this densely populated area would lead to more deaths and suffering.
He added, "In the name of humanity, we call on Israel to halt its plan and seek peace," emphasizing that the evacuation process the Israeli army intends to carry out before the attack is not a viable solution. He mentioned that the 1.2 million residents of Rafah have no safe place to go, nor are there healthcare facilities operating at full capacity and safety that they can access anywhere else in Gaza. He continued that many people are physically vulnerable, hungry, and ill to the extent that they cannot be displaced again.
Israel had announced that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the army's 'action plans' to launch an attack in Rafah, an area adjacent to the closed border with Egypt, to which a large number of civilians have fled to escape the Israeli assault in the northern, central, and southern parts of the region."
