UN Secretary-General Expresses Concern Over Israeli Military Operations in Rafah; Situation in the Region Has Worsened

On May 15, the Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General stated that Antonio Guterres is 'horrified' by the escalation of Israeli military activities in the city of Rafah and is concerned about the displacement of nearly 450,000 Palestinians. Farhan Haq told reporters at the UN headquarters on Tuesday, 'As Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel and Israel conducts operations in Rafah, civilian access to humanitarian aid has been increasingly disrupted, and the dire situation in the region has worsened.' The Deputy Spokesman also emphasized that civilians must be respected and protected in Rafah and other parts of Gaza. He reiterated the Secretary-General's call for the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing and unhindered access for humanitarian organizations throughout Gaza, adding, 'There is nowhere safe in Gaza now, and the Secretary-General has repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages.' Last week, the Israeli army intensified its military operations in Rafah and ordered residents to evacuate parts of the city. Israel claims it is conducting a limited operation to eliminate Hamas militants' infrastructure along the Gaza-Egypt border. The United States, the UN, and other countries have urged Israel to refrain from a full-scale assault on Rafah to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the area, but Israeli leaders argue that Rafah is the last stronghold of the Hamas militia and that attacking Rafah is necessary to achieve the goal of eliminating Hamas as a threat in Gaza. Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, stated on Monday that Israel's large military operation in Rafah puts many civilians at risk 'without a clear strategic gain.' He also noted, 'We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is genocide,' adding that 'the world should demand that Hamas return to the negotiating table and accept an agreement while the United States continues to work with Israel to defeat Hamas.' Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza began in response to a Hamas terrorist attack on southern Israel on October 7 of last year. In that attack, at least 1,200 people were killed, and over 250 others were taken hostage. During negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt last fall, more than 100 hostages were released in exchange for the freedom of several Palestinian prisoners. However, 133 Israeli hostages remain in Hamas's custody, and Israel believes at least 20 of them have died. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. Malaysia states that there is no evidence of Iranian oil being transferred from ship to ship in its waters. The Israeli army claims to have monitored armed Hamas members at the UNRWA headquarters in Rafah. The shadow of the hostages in Gaza looms over Israel's 'Independence Day.' The UN corrected the casualty figures for Gaza, noting significant exaggeration in the numbers reported by Hamas. Israel warns the people of Lebanon: 'We will respond with full force to any escalation by Hezbollah.' Israeli tanks have entered more areas in Rafah. The U.S. states that the Islamic Republic cannot hide behind the Houthis and must immediately cease destabilizing actions. Senior Biden administration officials reiterated U.S. opposition to Israel's 'large military operations' in Rafah.