Israel-Hamas war: UN’s grim Gaza forecast as aid halted

UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that Gaza risked an “epic humanitarian disaster” as Israeli military operations around its far-southern city of Rafah effectively halted aid operations.

Earlier this week, Israeli ground troops seized eastern areas of the city, including the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, but they have yet to enter its main built-up area.

Media witnessed artillery strikes on the city on Friday local time and the Israeli army said operations were continuing in the east of the city.

“On the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing, the troops eliminated several terror cells during close-quarters combat and with an aerial strike,” the military said.

But there was no sign yet of the full-scale assault promised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even after US President Joe Biden threatened to halt some arms deliveries if he goes ahead.

“If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement.

“We are determined and we are united in order to defeat our enemies and those who want to destroy us.”
Mr Netanyahu has said repeatedly that Israel cannot defeat Hamas and extinguish any possibility of the militant group repeating its bloody October 7 attack without sending ground troops into Rafah in search of remaining Hamas fighters.

But Washington has warned that the reputational damage Israel will suffer if it storms a city where an estimated 1.4 civilians are sheltering will far outweigh any possible military gain.