JERUSALEM (AFP) - Major Israeli military action on Rafah, in Gaza's far south, would heap further devastation on civilians, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned on Friday (Feb 9).
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week said he had ordered troops to prepare to go into the city as Israel hunts down those behind Hamas's unprecedented Oct 7 attack on southern Israel.
But UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, under pressure after Israel alleged 12 of the agency's staff took part in the deadly assault, said the humanitarian situation in Rafah was increasingly desperate.
More than 1.2 million people – about half of the entire population of the Gaza Strip – were now crowded into the city, sleeping on the streets in makeshift accommodation, with food and water scarce.
"Any large-scale military operation among this population can only lead to an additional layer of endless tragedy that's unfolding," he told reporters in Jerusalem.
"There's a sense of growing anxiety and growing panic in Rafah. People have absolutely no idea where to go after Rafah."
Lazzarini said air strikes had hit near UNRWA's base in Rafah on Thursday, heightening tensions and fear among civilians, and putting into doubt the agency's overall relief effort.
UNRWA operations in Gaza were "on edge", he said, adding: "I don't know how long we will be able to operate in such a high-risk environment."
The agency chief said the situation was worsening throughout southern Gaza, where police were becoming increasingly reluctant to provide escorts for aid trucks that were being mobbed by Gazans desperate for food.
On top of that, eight police were killed in three separate air strikes in the last four days, he said, adding: "They're saying enough is enough."
Lazzarini had previously warned that the lives of at least 300,000 people in central and northern Gaza were at risk because of a lack of food but UNRWA was unable to get to the region.
The last time the agency was allowed to deliver supplies to the area was on Jan 23.
The United States on Thursday warned Israel that a push into Rafah without proper planning could lead to a "disaster" for civilians.
SACKINGS
Lazzarini sacked 12 UNRWA workers last month after Israel claimed they had taken part in the Hamas attacks, prompting 16 countries to suspend US$440 million in funding to the agency.
On Friday, he defended not following due process by initially suspending the individuals, insisting that because of the "explosive nature" of the claims, he had a wider judgement call to make.
"I felt at the time that not only the reputation but the ability of the entire agency to continue to operate and deliver critical humanitarian assistance was at stake if I did not take such a decision," he added.
He indicated that some form of redress could be available for those sacked if they are exonerated by an internal United Nations (UN) probe, which is due to report its preliminary findings within weeks.
But he said Israel did not raise concerns about the individuals when their names were submitted last year for vetting with all 30,000 of UNRWA's staff, who work with Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Since the revelations, which Israel says justifies stopping UNRWA's activities in Gaza after the war, Lazzarini said the "hostile" environment against the agency had increased.
Bank accounts have been frozen and a consignment of food aid from Turkey to sustain 1.1 million people for a month had been blocked for 10 days at the Israeli port of Ashdod, he added.
The Israeli authorities had instructed the contractor not to handle it because payment was handled by a Palestinian bank, he went on.
The suspension of funding had not affected operations, he said, and he was "cautiously optimistic" of increased support from Gulf nations.
"They have been very receptive. They are very concerned about the impact of UNRWA not being fully able to deliver on its mandate," he said.