Berlin (dpa) – “An offensive by the Israeli army on Rafah is a humanitarian catastrophe waiting to happen,” wrote the Green politician on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. “The people in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air.” Baerbock pointed out that there was already indescribable suffering in Rafah, with 1.3 million people seeking shelter from the fighting in the Gaza Strip in a very confined space.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to prepare an offensive on Rafah. He said there were four remaining Hamas battalions in the city. The military leadership is said to be planning to evacuate the civilians there. According to eyewitnesses, Israel has already carried out the first air strikes on targets in Rafah.
Baerbock said on X that Israel must defend itself against Hamas terror but must also alleviate the suffering of the civilian population as far as possible. This was why another ceasefire was needed – she said , also in order to enable the release of more hostages. “When I go to Israel again next week I will discuss how this can be facilitated,” said the Minister.
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