‘Intolerable’: EU top diplomat slams Israel’s forced evacuation of Rafah
The European Union’s foreign policy chief has denounced as “intolerable” the Israeli regime’s move to forcibly evacuate Palestinians from the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah as the occupying entity prepares for a large-scale ground invasion of the densely populated area.
Josep Borrell said in a post on X on Sunday that Israel is bound by international law to provide safety to Palestinian civilians before their evacuation from Rafah.
“Forcing civilians to evacuate Rafah to unsafe zones is intolerable. Israel is bound by international law to provide safety to civilians,” Borrell said.
He went on to stress that the Israeli ground offensive would worsen the “dire humanitarian crisis” in the city.
“We continue to urge Israel not to go ahead with a ground operation in Rafah. This would further exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis.”
Forcing civilians to evacuate #Rafah to unsafe zones is intolerable.#Israel is bound by international law to provide safety to civilians.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) May 11, 2024
We continue to urge Israel not to go ahead w/ a ground operation in Rafah.
This would further exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis.
The Israeli military ordered Palestinians on Saturday to evacuate more areas in the southern city of Rafah, where the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) says is accommodating an estimated population of approximately 1.1 million individuals in an area of 63.1 square kilometers.
The Israeli occupation has been expanding the evacuation of Rafah since May 6, when the usurping entity declared launching a ground military offensive in the southern Gaza city, saying in a statement that about 300,000 people have left.
A day after, the Israeli forces entered Rafah’s eastern sector and seized control of Gaza’s side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which is the main corridor for the transfer of aid into the besieged strip.
The incursion came despite widespread international opposition and after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators Qatar and Egypt.
Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, killing at least 34,971 Palestinians and injuring over 78,641 others.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
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