NewsBlinken warns of 'unacceptable' harm in possible Israeli attack on Rafah

Blinken warns of 'unacceptable' harm in possible Israeli attack on Rafah

Blinken: Israeli attack on Rafah will cause "unacceptable" damage.

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4 May 2024 09:18

Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his concern about a potential Israeli attack on the city of Rafah, which serves as a haven for over a million Palestinian refugees. Blinken highlighted the potential for "unacceptable" damages such an assault might generate.

At the forefront of American diplomacy, Blinken remarked that Israel has yet to outline any strategy for safeguarding civilians in the case of a proposed attack.

"In the absence of such a strategy, we cannot endorse a large-scale military operation in Rafah, given the excessive harm it would inflict," stated the Secretary of State. Blinken voiced these concerns during his Friday appearance at the McCain Institute forum in Sedona, Arizona.

Rafah, targeted by Israel for an operation aimed at dismantling Hamas entirely, is situated in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, along the Egyptian border. Due to military engagements in other regions of the Palestinian territory, the city has become a sanctuary for more than a million refugees. These individuals, enduring severe hardships and teetering on the edge of famine, await what the future holds.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday, reaffirmed that the military objectives against Hamas have not shifted, labelling the assault on Rafah, a border city, as unavoidable. Despite Netanyahu's claims that the evacuation of civilians from the area has begun, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency UNRWA, refuted these assertions as reported by the "Newsweek" magazine portal.