The planned Israeli offensive on Rafah, on the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, could cause "tens of thousands of deaths and injuries", according to Hamas, which called on the UN Security Council to "convene an immediate meeting".
"We warn of a catastrophe and a massacre that could cause tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded", declared the Palestinian armed faction, which holds "the international community and the Israeli occupation" responsible for these possible consequences.
“We call on the United Nations Security Council to convene an immediate and urgent meeting to confirm its determination to force the Israeli occupation to stop the genocidal war it is waging against the Palestinians in Gaza,” read a subsequent statement from the Hamas press office.
The mayor of Rafah, Ahmed al-Sufi, also told AlJazeera that "any military action in the city crowded with more than 1.4 million Palestinians will lead to a massacre and a bloodbath."
"We appeal to the international community and every living conscience to stop the genocide against the Palestinian people," said al-Sufi, arguing that the city is already facing a famine due to a lack of supplies and that the aid arriving through the Rafah crossing is only sufficient for 10% of the city's population.
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